


Siren Einar

by fayegonin



Series: Siren [1]
Category: Alpha and Omega - Patricia Briggs, Mercy Thompson Series - Patricia Briggs
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-16
Updated: 2016-06-29
Packaged: 2018-07-15 11:13:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 34,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7220092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fayegonin/pseuds/fayegonin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Well, I swore I would never write fanfiction. I couldn't resist the werewolves though. Story about an original character named Siren (or Sydney). I'm not going to go outside canon events, far as I know. If I am wrong, comment and I will fix it. I will update frequently until complete. Please review.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 1-5

Chapter 1

My name is Sydney, and this might be the story of the most interesting decade of my life. 

My mate and I have been settled and content for 3 years or so. He is Alpha of Saranac pack, deep in upstate New York. True, he is a very old wolf and is slowly going insane, but I am able to support him very much through the mating bond. Our pack is stable and healthy. I only regret that I did not meet him sooner, then I would have been able to preserve his sanity longer. Unfortunately, a few weeks ago, he snapped. I brought him back into control within a few minutes through the mating bond, but the damage was done. I will pick up the pieces. I refuse to let go of my mate so soon after meeting him. Mates are supposed to have eternity together, but somehow it never works out that way, at least for me. For now, my mate is stabilized and I will keep him that way as long as necessary. My pack is strong, and they do not realize that I am the stabilizing force. Our Second, Maxwell, perhaps realizes something is up, but it is no matter. I am more dominant than he, and if he suggests anything against my mate I will discipline him. Mates are so hard to find, and they are so fragile. It is three nights before the full moon.

“You are so beautiful, my precious wolf. So strong and powerful.” I relax in my mate’s embrace as night falls. The pack is still a little shaken from his loss of control last week, but I fixed it. I am not naive enough to believe that this is a permanent fix, but I will ride with it to the bitter end. My husband and mate perhaps doesn’t realize how much of the dominance and control he has now is borrowed from me. I smile up at him. We have just finished dinner, there are no pressing emergencies, and the pack is happy and content. It is two days before the full moon. I smile and relax. We will have a hunt on the full moon, and the pack will be settled as they see their Alphas run before them, strong and in control. 

It is one day before the full moon when a dominant, strong wolf shows up at my door. “Mrs. Lyman, I am sorry to ruin your afternoon. Please gather the pack in the large barn.”   
I meet his eyes and ask “Why are you here, strange wolf?” He bows his read, in respect and mourning but not in submission. My wolf senses trouble coming and wants to rip him to shreds before the bad happens.   
“I am sorry; Mrs. Lyman, but you and your husband must come to the barn.”

The Marrok enforces good rules for the werewolves, but rules suck when you are on the wrong side of them. Still, I respect my husband enough to let him make his own choice. As the pack stands around, I wait for the death sentence.

The stranger says “Sebastian Lyman, Alpha of the Saranac pack, I challenge you. By the rules that bind us all, you are unfit to rule this pack. Your wolf is getting out of control, and you know it.”  
My husband replies dominant to the end “This pack is not yours to hold. It is mine, and will be so until my death.” I and my wolf howl in support. It is soon, much too soon. I will never let my mate die. But my mate commands me, and although I am dominant enough to defy, I will let him fight for his life, but my support will be with him. But I cannot stop him as he shifts to wolf. Fights, especially for the position of Alpha, are often to the death. As wolves, it increases the chance someone will die. My wolf and I rage together in unison, but I cannot act without destroying the pack. But as the fight starts I no longer care. I rage with my mate as I defend my pack, but I move not a muscle. Slice and bite, snap. The red rage pours forth, as we fight. I am not certain when the timbre of the fight changes, but I know that someone will die. In my own rage, I lose control of my mate’s wolf. It is no matter to me, I will defend my territory. But then my mate closes me out. Although I am more dominant than he, I cannot force the connection open in time to prevent his death. I feel only his regret for leaving me. 

Perhaps, if I had been a gentler wolf, I would not react as such to a broken mating bond. Perhaps if I had more time to prepare… No regrets. I shift as I feel my hard won control over my dominance fall away. The control I had kept for such as long time as the world shifted towards male dominance. The icy rage rises, harder and stronger than I could contain. Without direction, I would be lost again. My wolf breaks through all of my barriers. My eyes are pure shining green, with a vengeful light. The challenger asks “I have defeated Sebastian Lyman. Does any challenge my right to claim this pack as my own, to hold and protect, until my time is done?” The pack bonds are in flux and the wolves must be bound to an Alpha before the pack cohesion is lost. I stand. 

“I, Sydney, challenge you. You are nothing in my sight, and I will not rest until you are gone from this earth.” He nods, and I realize that he expected this outcome. But he doesn’t meet my eyes. I howl and let the Change rip through me. I draw from the pack bonds, and attack while I am still shifting. As only the most dominant wolves can, I halt partway through the change. I release the final hold on my wolf and let the rage take center. Let him see the monster he has unleashed. My change finishes as I strike my first blow. The challenger jumps back, stunned by my quick change and the rage which burns from my eyes. But he recovers and fights for his life. I see the realization on his face as he realizes my wolf is toying with him. But he doesn’t submit, and my wolf is too far gone to accept a yield when it comes. I kill him quickly, as a mercy, but my wolf rages within me. I can see his last thoughts, and I will mourn his passing even as I rejoice in the rightness of his death for the murder of my mate. 

The full moon rises as I call my pack to me. My pack, mine alone. I am sole Alpha again.  
 

Chapter 2

It only took three days for the Marrok to get in contact. I have not met the Marrok yet, and if I knew him before he became Marrok I am not aware of it. The Marrok arose in America, but his looks and actions testify to the fact he was born and raised in Europe. Still, it would not do to underestimate him. He does hold all the wolves of North America in his sway. The house phone rings. It is an unlisted number, known only to the pack and the occasional telemarketer. I pick up the phone “Sydney here, how may I help you?” I do not recognize the number, so I go with cheerful.   
“I would prefer to do this face to face. Go to your computer and pull up Skype. I would like to talk to you.” I sigh. I believe it is the Marrok.  
A few minutes later, I pull up Skype on the house computer. It is not my personal computer that I do my work on but it is a very good computer. I bought it for my mate a year ago. I note the telltale shift that shows that the Marrok is not actually using Skype, but is interfacing directly with my computer. That takes skill. I will have to find out who the Marrok's hacker is. He cuts right to the chase.  
“Who is Alpha there? I could feel the change in leadership but I have no idea who he is. The pack bonds are strong but I don’t recognize the wolf.” Mr. Marrok looks pissed off. I raise my eyebrows.  
“I am Alpha here.” I wait for the reaction. All I get is a glimmer of gold in his eyes.  
“How? And why would a female challenge for pack leadership? I thought you were mated to the Alpha.”  
“I was. A challenger killed my mate, and I defeated him.” I hear an inhale of breath and I realize that there must be other people in the room.   
“I will find someone to take over the pack from you.” My wolf roars at the implications. I smile cruelly. Typical male. Just because most of the dominant wolves are male doesn’t mean females can't be dominant.   
I speak softly, but the wolf will hear every word. “I am Alpha here. This pack is mine to hold and protect, until the tides of fate carry me away.” I wonder if the Marrok will recognize the ancient wording. I let enough of my wolf into my eyes to assure him of my willingness to fight for my position. Dominance squabbling such as this is something I have avoided for many years, but it is time to rejoin pack life. There is a storm brewing on the horizon.   
The Marrok sighs “Call me Bran. I will send someone to you to discuss this further.” I nod in agreement. The next day, Charles Wolfkiller arrives on my doorstep.   
 

Chapter 3

I hear a knocking on my door around noon. I am about to sit down to lunch with a few members of my pack to discuss the changes I will make, primarily the allowance of females to challenge. We have a very large number of females for a pack of this size, 6 out of 27. Now, five, including myself, are not mated and allowing them to challenge will help strengthen the pack bonds.   
I open the door. There is a tall, very dominant wolf that appears to be mostly Native American, to use the politically correct terminology. But the women behind him catches my attention. The most recent stories are true then. Omega, mated to Charles Wolfkiller. I smile a greeting and keep the challenge out of my eyes. “Charles,” I say with a nod to acknowledge his dominance “Anna, welcome to my house.”  
Charles frowns “We were told this was the new Alpha’s house. Can you direct us to Sydney Lyman?”  
I grin wolfishly and allow the situation to escalate, just to test the Omega. It's not like I would want to challenge Charles or anything. “I am Sydney Einar.”   
Anna steps forward and smiles. It is like the sun after the long winter of cold and snow. She is a powerful Omega indeed. “I am sorry that Charles didn’t realize you were the Alpha.”  
I return the smile, to test Charles. To see if he catches the undertone that Anna will miss “Greetings to you, Omega. You are welcome within my walls anytime you wish. It has been a long time since I have met an Omega.” I can feel the wolf in Charles fight to come to the surface. I show my guests in. “Please, come eat. My pack and I are just sitting down to lunch.” I show them to seats, and my submissive, Eli, sets out extra places without being asked. A good submissive wolf is rarer than a good Alpha. With a strong Alpha and one of the best submissive wolves I have met, the pack has been stable for many more years than I have been here. 

I can feel the fear roll through my wolves as I introduce Charles and Anna. As I lend them support, I can feel Anna use her influence to calm them as well. Charles looks at her, and I can feel a bit of smugness although nothing shows in his face or body. I have an extra advantage due to my heritage that sometimes allows me to read others more than a normal wolf would be able to. Already, I can sense that there is more to him than the stories I have heard. Anna glances at me as she realizes I have already calmed my wolves. I give her an almost imperceptible acknowledgement, and start a conversation as I bring out the food. Lunch is forced, with Charles mostly scaring my pack, but Anna and I make small talk. To my surprise, Eli manages to start a conversation with Charles. I whisper to my wolves through our bond “I will postpone our meeting about pack changes until I get this settled with the Marrok’s representative.” Their ears perk up, and I regret that I haven’t found time to train them not to give away my words with signals like that. My second, Max looks at me, and I raise my eyebrows, reminding him I am Alpha.   
Max asks “With your pardon, Sydney, I would like to get back to my house. My wife is expecting me.” It rings true, without the hint of a lie. However, he didn’t say when his wife was expecting him.   
The others stand up fairly quickly and I say, with just a hint of amusement “Dismissed.”  
I can sense a returning hint of amusement from Charles, although, again, nothing touches his face. After the others have left I ask “If you are done, we can discuss business.”  
I get up to clear the plates, and to my surprise, Eli is still in the room and helps me. Anna jumps to her feet and I say “You are a guest in my house. You do not get to help.” Charles bristles at the order to his mate, but Anna sighs and relaxes after just a second of irritation. Eli follows me to the kitchen. I turn the water on, suspecting he wants to talk. After some shuffling of his feet he comes right out with it “I knew Charles a while ago, and I think you should be careful of him. You know you are too close to you mate’s death to be thinking clearly.” I match his seriousness.  
“Thank you. I will be careful, but my dominance is a little too close to his for me to be comfortable. My wolf view him as a threat, which should be enough warning. But please, come by later after they leave.” I return to the room where Charles and Anna sit.   
“Please, come into my study. I’m sure you have a list from the Marrok.”  
After they sit in the comfy chairs, I pull out my computer. It is the one that I keep for pack and financial business, not my work computer. I set it open to the side, so they can see the screen and it doesn’t form a barrier between us.   
Anna starts it off, to my surprise. “Sydney, can you tell me a little about yourself?” She backs it with just a hint of power, but that is probably enough to make anyone without experience with Omegas spill their life’s story.   
I smile “A little about myself? I have recently become sole Alpha of the Saranac pack. I make my money as a hacker. Anything else you would like me to say, Omega?” I feel a little bad about cutting her off, but that is part of the danger of Omega wolves. I must keep her at a distance until I know she and Charles can be trusted. I know my dominance is hidden, so I appear less dominant that I am. It is partly to deceive Charles so I can remain in control of the situation.   
Charles asks “Where do you come from?”  
I reply “I was born far away and long ago. I came from China to join this pack.”  
Charles pushes “There is no record of your immigration or a request to come onto the Marrok’s territory.”   
“I was with my mate.” I speak the truth, as far as it goes. Charles’s face is still unreadable, but my power tells me he is uncertain. He backs off, leaving the first point to me. Perhaps I shouldn’t be playing games with the acknowledged second most dominant wolf on the continent, but I really can’t help myself. I wait for the next question.  
Charles and Anna exchange a glance, and I can almost hear their conversation. They will not push me on personal matters until tomorrow. Charles asks “You are certain you want to be Alpha of this pack?”   
I reply “I am Alpha.” The slight frown on Charles’s face makes me realize he must have been listening to my conversation with the Marrok. I add “I have been Alpha before, and now I am again. Does the Marrok challenge the right of a woman to lead a pack?” I am not surprised when Anna stiffens. The people of this century are firm that women are the equal of men. I see Charles realize that there is only one answer that is acceptable to his mate.  
“He will be fine with your being a woman. It is policy to check on new Alphas.”  
I incline my head in a characteristic wolfish fashion. “It is policy to send the second most dominant werewolf onto a new Alpha’s territory?”   
Charles allows a hint of expression, perhaps amusement onto his face. “In this case, yes. I also just happened to be in the area.” That rings false, although there are no telltale liar signs. Perhaps the Marrok felt the instability in the bonds before my mate died, and had already set him to possibly clean up the mess that would have resulted from a crazy alpha wolf. My wolf howled at the reminder of our mate’s death, but I made sure no hint showed in my bearing. Our discussion evolved to matters of pack and pack finance. Charles definitely knows more about how to run a pack that his reputation would indicate. Anna too is sharper that she looks, but I expect that from an Omega. They deny my invitation to stay the night, as expected. After they leave, I get on my real computer and hack into Charles’s cell phone.

   
Chapter 4

After they get back to their hotel, Charles calls his father while I listen in. It was very difficult to get into his phone, but after I realized it was a Welsh-based code I managed it. Who among the Marrok’s wolves is his hacker? The person must be fluent in Welsh, as well as be very clever. I am fairly sure it is a wolf. I heard somewhere that the Marrok is Welsh, so perhaps that is not particularly surprising.   
“Hi Dad.”  
“How did it go?” The Marrok asks.  
Charles shrugs “I’m not sure. She is a capable Alpha and suited to the job…”  
“But what?”   
“There is something off. It might just be her fighting her wolf for control after her mate’s death, but I couldn’t get a read on her dominance.”  
“How old is she?”  
“I don’t know. She claims to be a hacker, so probably young, but she also claims to have been an Alpha before.”  
“Alpha or Alpha’s mate? Could you tell?” asks the Marrok.  
“No. I didn’t think to ask her to specify.”   
I can hear Anna walk into the room. “I think she has run into an Omega wolf before. There was a sense of real astonishment and welcome in her greeting.”  
Charles agrees “The wording was interesting. Almost formal. I was drawn a little off-balance by it. Actually, I was a little off balance most of the time in her house. The spirits are strong in that house. Why, I don’t know.”   
The Marrok sighs “So despite my suggestion that you see what you can find out about her, she left you with nothing?”  
Anna says “That's not true. She said she came from China.” Charles grunts in agreement.  
“When, and how did she get into my territory?”  
Anna shrugs “She said with her mate.”   
The Marrok asks “Those words exactly?”   
Charles shakes his head “No, I don’t recall her exact words.” He laughs, a bitter sound. “She controlled the conversation from beginning to end. There was no hint of fear. I didn’t realize until now.”   
Anna sounds concerned “I know I am a young wolf, but I could feel her calm her wolves when she introduced us. Is that normal for an alpha to do?”  
Charles says “I thought that was you? It was perfectly done, just enough to reassure, but not enough to let them loosen up.”  
Anna shakes her head “I don’t have that much control yet.”   
The Marrok sighs “Go back tomorrow and find out more about her past.” He hangs up.

There is a knock on my door as Eli lets himself into my study. 

Chapter 5

By the time Eli left, it was late. I have a much better picture of Charles, admittedly one outdated by 10+ years. Eli came from Aspen Creek, and I have a suspicion he would report to the Marrok if asked to. The one weakness with submissive wolves is that they are more likely to bow to the current dominant wolf and not think about the other ones they might upset with their actions. I get up and make breakfast. I invited Charles and Anna over for 8:30 breakfast, with Max and his human mate. It is a gamble, but I think I can count on Anna to make it work. 

After breakfast I move into the sitting room with Charles and Max, leaving Anna and Max’s human mate at the table. We discuss the wolves in my pack. After some time, Max and his mate leave and Anna joins Charles and I in the sitting room. I am more relaxed today, more human.   
“Do you know why the spirits gather so tightly around your house, Sydney?” Based on Anna’s surprise, this was not part of their plan of attack.   
“I am not sure, but I do feel them. It has been that way for a while. I am not sure if it is this house or not.”  
“The spirits of Nature gather in your house, yet you do not know why?” Charles pushes.  
I smile “I do not interfere with Nature. I am older and wiser than that.”  
Anna laughs “Charles apparently is not.” I laugh with her. She continues smoothly “I would be delighted if you would visit Aspen Creek.”  
I am surprised “I am being invited to the headquarters? How… interesting.” I pause a few seconds for the drama of it. “I would be delighted, but it must wait a few months. I have just taken the reins of this pack and cannot chance dropping them so soon, even with so little upset over the change in Alphas.”  
Charles frowns. “The pack bonds sing strongly. You could easily leave now and not chance loosing the pack.”  
I nod in agreement “I wouldn’t lose the pack, but the pack would lose cohesion. My second is still a young wolf, although very dominant, and I cannot drop a pack that has only run with their Alpha once on his shoulders, no matter the reason.” By the time I finish, my eyes are meeting his is clear warning, with no challenge. But he takes the challenge as I glance over to Anna. As if I cued her, she calms her mate. Charles’s wolf is probably about ready to eat me, so I should wrap this up soon. I can only keep the man off balance for so long before the wolf will snap. It is a delicate balance, but I have centuries of experience. After lunch they leave without a hint about my past.


	2. 6-9

Chapter 6

The time for my visit to the Marrok has come. I fly my own plane to Aspen Creek. I prefer to have my own transportation, and this will give me a chance to scout around. I stroll into what seems to be the only restaurant in town. I heard that the people here all knew about werewolves, and the speculative glances I get confirm that. I stroll over to the table where Charles and Anna are sitting with another female wolf. I smell a familiar scent on her, but they are definitely not mated. She must have recently had contact with the wolf known as the Moor. Anna smiles and waves me over “Sage, this is Sydney. She is Alpha of Saranac pack. Sydney, this is Sage, one of my best friends.” She whispers to me as I sit down “Bran’s mate, Leah died a few weeks ago. You might not see him until tomorrow. Normally you would be shown to him right away.”  
I nod. “I felt the rage and sorrow through the ties he keeps. I will be patient.”  
Charles asks “Where will you be staying?”  
I smile “I think I scented a friend earlier. I may try to track them down. If not, I will rent a room at the hotel.”  
After the dinner I walk out with Sage. I ask her “I heard the Moor was living here. Would you know about that?”  
She stiffens “What gave you that idea?”  
“His scent is on you.”  
“Do you know Asil?” She asks as she backs away, but I have enough information from her to find my way to his new house. I run through the gathering twilight and open his door. I stand in the doorway with my hands on my hips.  
The Moor walks slowly and steadily up to me. His footsteps are the deliberate step meant to intimidate and scare. His house is dark, as usual. I can tell he hasn’t changed the habits of a lifetime.  
When he reaches the door, without pausing, he flips on the bright light that is mounted directly above his head. Even werewolf eyes need a few seconds to adjust. I stare him down, and let my eyes sharpen and become more piercing, but still blue. He meets my gaze, and I let my wolf out into my eyes as they turn a bright green. As he continues to meet my stare I pull out my other nature and let it show in my eyes. I know that they are now a deep purple. The Moor gasps and drops his eyes for a second to acknowledge my dominance. He laughs softly “Siren. Of course you would show up here and now.”  
I reply, “I hear you call yourself Asil these days.” I come into the room and close the door behind me as I let my glamour fade.  
“Yes, I am Asil these days. I am an old wolf, waiting for the insanity to claim me so I can die.”  
I snort my laughter at that statement “You stopped running. I would assume you found closure somehow. You are as sane as you ever were. It seems you found another wolf dominant and canny enough to be your Alpha.”  
“Bran is my Alpha. Don’t make trouble there, Siren.”  
“I do not intend to. I am Sydney Einar now, Alpha of the Saranac pack.”  
“You lost another mate?” I forgot he knew what it meant when I assumed the name Einar. It means something like alone warrior.  
I sigh “Just a few months ago. He was going crazy and some young dominant challenged him.”  
Asil gives a wry grin “Did you rip his heart out and eat it?”  
I reply in a like tone “Not this time, no.”  
He nods “The witch who stole my mating bond is dead now. Killed by Anna.”  
I grin “I knew not to underestimate her. Are you not training her?”  
“No, her mate would not let me get that close.” Unspoken is the thought that it is too personal for him as well. Anna would remind him of his lost mate. We sit in silence for a few minutes and then speak at the same time. We have a few centuries of catching up to do.  
   
Chapter 7

Sage walks into Asil’s greenhouse, where I am meditating. I can feel her flinch as she scents me. I sigh and decide to try and fix this. If Sage is comfortable walking into Asil’s greenhouse without an express invitation and accompaniment, he must like her. I speak softly, with my dominance hidden. “Relax Sage, I’m just meditating. Asil is still asleep, but he should be up and around soon.” She still hesitates. “If you are a trusted helper in here, the next job would be to water the roses. He hasn’t watered anything this morning yet.” Sage goes to the task. I return to meditating. A few minutes later I get up and start really inspecting Asil’s new greenhouse. My lineage is not such that I can speak with plants, but I like them anyway.  
Asil comes storming in. “Siren, why are you up so damn early?”  
I smile “It’s not early, besides, I wanted to look at your new greenhouse.”  
Sage adds “She claimed she was meditating when I came in.” Unsaid is that werewolves don’t often meditate.  
Asil sighs “Sydney, meet Sage. Sage this is Sydney.”  
She replies “We’ve met.”  
I smile “I am afraid I didn’t make a good first impression. Apparently asking where the Moor’s house is constitutes an aggressive act.”  
Asil winces “Come into the house. The negativity is bad for my plants.”  
“And it’s not bad for the house?” Asil ignores me. I grin. 

We walk into the kitchen. Asil serves tea. He tries to start a conversation “Sage, what brings you over here so early?”  
She replies “It’s not early.” I recognize the evasion and decide to save them the trouble.  
“She wanted to see who got eaten.” Sage looks down.  
Asil frowns “What?”  
I sigh “We ran into each other last night. I asked where you lived because I could scent you on her. I assumed that anyone that spent time around you wouldn’t scare, so perhaps I was not sufficiently circumspect. She came to see if anyone got eaten.”  
Sage looks up and glares at me “I didn’t know you knew each other. If I am in the way, I’ll leave.” I smile, but it doesn’t show on my face. I lean back and let Asil deal with this. I want to see if my suspicions about her are correct. The actual reason she came by was because she was concerned about him.  
Asil takes her hand “Sage, you are always welcome, don’t doubt that. Siren, or Sydney as she is called these days, was my Alpha a long time ago. She still seems to be lacking subtlety.”  
Sage says “No, she has plenty of subtlety. She kept Charles off balance enough last night that Anna was starting to get slightly irritable.”  
I grin “You know Charles well then?” Sage looks slightly panicked.  
Asil scowls “Sydney, why? I thought you said you weren’t playing games here.”  
I correct him “I said I had no intention of playing games with the Marrok. Charles showed up in my territory and questioned my ability to lead a pack. Besides, I haven’t met the Marrok yet.”  
Sage interrupts. I am surprised at her temerity to interrupt two very dominant wolves. “The Marrok wants to see you by 10:00.” Then I see from her posture that she believes Asil would protect her from me.  
I ask “Those words exactly?”  
Sage shrugs “I believe so.”  
I smile “So what would you like for breakfast?”  
Asil growls “You are not cooking in my kitchen.” Sage and Asil end up making the breakfast. I can cook now, but I couldn’t when Asil first met me, so I am not surprised at his reaction. As Sage goes into the kitchen to clean up afterwards Asil asks “What do you think of her?”  
I laugh softly “For what?” Asil scowls. He hates my tendency to objectify people.  
“As a person.”  
“She has been through a lot, and justice allows her to smile, but recovery is slow. It always is.”  
Asil asks “What does your gift say?” I have the gift, or curse, of insight. It is not the sight that allows people to tell the future or what is between people, but I can see something of a person and sometimes, if I try, I can read surface thoughts.  
I sigh “Her wounds are slowly healing. She is hurt that I am here, and confused about why she feels that way. With time, both will go away. What my regular old senses tell me is that there is something between you. I expect all of the details.”  
Asil jumps to his feet and growls “No. Not like you mean.” I lean back as Sage comes into the room. She stands slightly off to the side, prepared to defend him or run.  
I get up gracefully and laugh “See you later, Sage and Asil. The roses on the east wall look like they need some more of the white things.” As I walk out the door I see the reflection in the window of Sage putting her hand on Asil’s shoulder.  
I hear as I walk away “Was she really your Alpha?” I have a meeting with the Marrok to prepare for.  
   
Chapter 8

I arrive at the Marrok’s house at 9:55. I walk in and scent a wolf that I have met before, but I can’t remember when. Age comes with fallible memory. As I walk into the room I see him relaxing on the couch with a Fae woman, I believe her name to be Ariana. I cannot recall much of her story, but I am sure she has one. I say hello. The wolf sends me on to the library; the Marrok is waiting there. I enter the room. He rises, and I get a look at the Marrok. His eyes are currently hazel and entirely human. I can’t pick up anything from him with my gift, he is guarded. That is unexpected, but not surprising.  
“Please, take a seat, Sydney.” I give a small curtsy and sit in the provided chair. He sits as well. The impression he gives off is very underwhelming for the ruler of the wolves in North America. I immediately focus in on the situation at hand. “Tell me about your pack.” I recognize the challenge, even as I am impressed by the question.  
“My pack is known as the Saranac Pack of Upstate New York. We are fairly isolated, and do not often get the current news. We number 27.” I pause.  
He pushes “Tell me about your wolves.”  
“My second, Max, is a fairly young but dominant wolf. He has a human wife, and I think they might be mates. She intends to undergo the Change, but not until after she has two children. Max has fairly good control. He is not ready to be an Alpha, but in a few more years he could be. My third, Julian, is not extremely dominant, and holds his rank more due to his age and cunning than any other reason. He is at the crisis point, his last niece is going to pass away within a year or two, and the chances of him losing control are quite great.” Bran looks slightly concerned by that. I continue “Our pack is fortunate to have a very good submissive wolf, Eli.” The barest hint of a smile touches the Marrok’s face. “He is stable and has been a great help to me. As is typical, submissives are reluctant to disclose their life’s story, but I gather there has been something with a not so good Alpha, long past to his memory now.”  
“Excellent. So when will you be turning over the pack to a more qualified Alpha?” My wolf howls and I allow my eyes to show it.  
“What makes you think I would do that? I am Alpha, and my pack is mine until the tides of fate drive us apart. Does being a woman disqualify me in your sight?”  
“It will not go over well with the other Alphas.”  
“Is a wolf pack a Democracy now?” The Marrok is sharper than any other wolf I have met, and I still have no read on him. If I am to take control of the conversation, now must be the time.  
He asks “Are you suggesting that I tell the wolves not to challenge you?”  
I shake my head “Of course not. Let them come challenge me. That is the way of the wolf, is it not?” I let a grin spread on my face.  
The Marrok says “What will I say to the Alphas?”  
“Say nothing, do nothing. Announce the change in leadership and let life proceed. Wolves cannot be stifled. If they disagree with my position, they can try and change it.”  
The Marrok smiles, and somehow it is scary. “Will you tell that to the gathering of Alphas in three months?”  
I return the smile “Of course.”  
Then he asks “So how old are you, Sydney?”  
“I was born long ago and far away.”  
“Where and how far?”  
“I cannot say where, and I do not know how long ago. There is little record of girl-children that are thought to be dead before they are married.” All true, as far as it goes.  
“Why can you not say where?”  
“I was born in a valley with snow in the winter. My parents were farmers. After becoming a wolf, I ran. I never found my parents again.”  
He halts that line of questioning and asks “Tell me about the death of your mate.” I tell the story again but in the detached voice common to werewolves that are trying to keep something from upsetting their wolf.  
During the story he asks “What gave you the idea that you could challenge he that killed your mate?”  
“Dominant instinct perhaps? I am not sure.” I know exactly why, but cannot be sure of it.  
“I have heard that you are making changes in your pack. Tell me about them.”  
I know what he means, so I answer “I have decided to allow the females to hold rank. It seems silly to do otherwise with a female Alpha.”  
He acknowledges “I agree. How dominant are you, Sydney?” I realize that he is probably used to fear and cowering, even from Alphas.  
I shrug. It’s too late to fix now. “Dominance is not easily measured. I am more dominant than any female wolf I have met.” I am more dominant than all but a few males, but that is not necessary information. I decide to poke back a little.  
“How about you, Mr. Marrok? I do not know much about you, why am I supposed to defer to you?”  
“You are on my territory, and will obey my orders. Call me Bran.” I meet his eyes in challenge. I see the wolf in him come to the surface. It is the first insight from my gift since I have come into this room, and it scares me. I recognize the wolf, although I would have to see his wolf form to be sure. I drop my eyes, but he is too wise to the ways of old wolves and knows it is not a true submission. As he rises, I stand as well. I can hear the struggle in his voice as he says “You may go, Sydney.” I glance up at his eyes and see the gold shining out. It is all I can do to turn my back and walk slowly from the room with confidence. The shadow of his wolf in the corner of my eye, a nice gift of insight that would have been helpful before I decided to provoke him, clears up any doubts I had about who the Marrok is.  
   
Chapter 9

I can feel Sage shy away from me as soon as I open the door. I grab Hussan’s staff that always sits inside the door and walk around the kitchen to his backyard behind the greenhouse. I rarely use a staff, but I need something to do to calm down. I start running through routines that I barely remember, from my training in Japan a few centuries ago.  
Asil and Sage come through the door and sit on the steps. “Tell me Siren. What has the boss man said to upset you so?” The mockery in Asil’s voice ignites my fury. I spin across and place whip the staff under his chin before he can flinch away. If I had moved another inch he would be dead, with a crushed windpipe and snapped neck. But, in typical Moor fashion, he refuses to flinch.  
I growl “The boss man, as you call him, is none other than Brandon the Berserker, Marrok of North America. The only fight I have run from in my life and my wolf would very much like to fix that.” I sigh and control my wolf. I sit down carefully on the step next to Asil.  
Sage asks “You met him a long time ago?”  
I shrug “Met might be too strong of a word. I was young when I decided to take a look at the Berserker. I left quickly and met a nice young man on the way out.”  
Asil looks surprised “I didn’t think you were that old.”  
I swear and say “I suppose the young man with the Fae Ariana on his arm is Samuel Branson.”  
Asil shrugs “They use the name Cornick now.”  
My phone rings. The Caller ID says it is Max, my second. I pick up the phone. “Sydney,” Max says “we have a rouge wolf in the territory, and he is pretty dominant. He seems to be moon mad.”  
I grimace “It is three days from the full moon. I’ll be there as soon as I can. Work with Julian to make sure the rest of the pack is safe. I’m leaving now. Call me with updates.” It will take me a few hours to fly back to New York. I return to the Marrok’s house.

Fortunately, Bran is coming out the door. I run over “I am heading back to my pack,”  
He finishes for me “There is a rouge dominant wolf in the area.” I wince. I’ll have to figure out who called him. “I am sending Samuel with you. I happen to know that the wolf is very dangerous.” I bow my head, noting that Bran is wearing sunglasses.  
“I am leaving as soon as my plane is ready. I hope that Samuel isn’t late.” It is not an order, but the Marrok bristles anyway. I walk away slowly towards the hangar.  
Bran sighs “I’ll drive you.” By the time he pulls up a car, his standard easygoing expression is back and he appears calm and relaxed. But I won’t forget what lies behind that mask easily. I relax my body posture, hoping that will let him calm down a little. We do not speak on the way to the hangar, but the silence is more comfortable than I would expect.  
 


	3. 10-13

Chapter 10 

I taxi the plane down the runway and take off. To my surprise, the fae Ariana is coming too. I do not ask why, but perhaps she is with Samuel right now. It is no matter, although to my surprise, he allows her to sit in the front seat of the plane and squeezes himself into the back. It is irritating to have such a dominant werewolf at my back, but I am concerned about my pack and slightly wary. I doubt the Marrok set a rogue wolf, but the timing is just too convenient. Then I realize what one of his previous comments meant. I pull out my cell phone with a growl, and call the Marrok’s phone number. Ariana flinches, to my surprise.  
He answers “Sydney.”  
“Who’s the rogue? You said you knew him.”  
“An old wolf named Matthias.”  
“How old, and what’s special about him.”  
“He’s 357 years old. He was an Alpha at one point. If you have trouble controlling him, Samuel will help you.” I almost laugh at that. I don’t need help controlling a rogue wolf.   
“What, if any, are his abilities or weaknesses?” If he is going to keep answering questions, I’ll keep asking although I already have all the information I need.  
“Silver, insanity.” I laugh and hang up the phone.   
Samuel, from the backseat asks “Did you just hang up on my father?” he sounds menacing, although I can feel his amusement.  
“I need to fly the plane, and he stopped being helpful.” Besides me, Ariana gives a small smile. I can feel a deeper emotion, although I could not be sure what it is. My gift is most effective on the Fae, but my nose often tells me more. From her, I scent earth magic, but also the sharpness of air and sea, as well as a hint of burning. Perhaps I should find her story when I get to my library, she smells very powerful. My phone rings. I look at the screen and grin. It is the Marrok. I pick up the phone but don’t say anything.  
I hear a growl then “The rogue has been a lone wolf for the past few years, residing peacefully in Pennsylvania. I am not sure why he went your way, or why he did it now.”  
I reply “That is very helpful, but we are coming up on a patch of turbulence, so if you have anything else please say it quickly.”   
“Have you met the wolf Matthias before?”  
“I have not heard of him, I have been MIA for the greater part of the last two centuries. If I do know him, I don’t recognize the name.” I can feel Samuel come to alertness.   
Samuel asks “Where have you been?”   
I reply vaguely “Travelling. Transportation has gotten so much easier over the last few centuries.” I say it in a flippant tone, deliberately setting the trap. It is a double bluff, of sorts. I say things that make me sound old, while I act young and say them like I am young. My phone beeps. I look at it and say “Excuse me, my second is calling.” I switch lines, and Samuel looks very concerned, then shrugs and smiles a little. I guess people don’t hang up on the Marrok very often. “Max,” I begin.   
He interrupts “Sydney, the wolf is here. He attacked one of the humans in the town last night, I just found out now.” I growl, my wolf furious at the invasion. Max continues “It’s not pretty, Sydney.” I forgot how young Max is. We have not had an uncontrolled wolf in the area since I joined the pack. He hasn’t seen the destruction one can create.   
I reply “I will be landing in approximately an hour. I would like you there to meet me. I will call Julian to scout and see if he can’t find where the rogue is hiding.” I don’t hang up, some instinct telling me he has something else to say.  
“Sydney, is it safe?”  
“If you feel like your wife is in danger, have her stay at my house. Call in all of the pack that is living single right now. I don’t know how dominant the intruder is, but it pays to be cautious.”  
“Thank you.” He hangs up. I call Julian and give him instructions. It is not his first hunt, and he is dominant enough to resist the call of the rogue wolf. I think so, at least. If a wolf is more dominant than another wolf, they can compel that wolf to act, but the real danger is that they will drag the other wolf down into their madness. It takes a very strong mind or great power to resist the pull of a more dominant wolf. It is one of the reasons packs have an Alpha.   
Samuel interrupts my train of thought. Probably a good thing, because the more worried I get, the less control I have, and I need to land the plane safely. “Sydney, why did you hang up on my father?”   
I shrug, a gesture that is in line with my young teenage appearance. “Max called, and I need the most relevant information I can get.”  
He looks out the window gloomily then says “I feel I should warn you, Leah died recently. We are not sure what happened, and my father isn’t telling. He is unstable right now, and it might get worse.”  
I raise my eyebrows “You think I should meekly submit? I admit that would be the wise thing, but it isn’t in my character.”   
Samuel shakes his head “No, but please don’t bait him. His wolf is very unstable.” I am quite aware, but I refuse to let the Marrok scare me.   
I shrug “Yellow eyes, right? He was wearing sunglasses in the car.”  
Samuel looks up sharply, with challenge in his eyes. I meet his eyes in the mirror with a bit of warning. He looks away without submitting, probably because he doesn’t want me to crash the plane while I am distracted. Ariana sits tensely in her seat, and I begin to scent fear from her. Something doesn’t add up. A Fae with her power shouldn’t be worried about a couple of werewolves. I am sure that my glamour is intact, and it works on other Fae. Samuel puts his hand on her shoulder and she relaxes. I wonder at that, but don’t say anything.   
   
Chapter 11

We exit the plane, Samuel somehow getting out before Ariana to help her down. My guess is that she doesn’t need it, but courtesy is never misplaced. I flip Ariana the car keys, just to see what happens. It might put her at ease to be in control, but I also want to see how Samuel reacts. He glances at me sharply, but I pretend not to notice. I don’t need a dominance showdown. “Welcome to the pack Saranac territory.” I say it with a bit of a Canadian accent, as I usually do. I feel relief at being back on my territory, with the pack bonds tugging strongly on me. Ariana gets in the car and turns it on while I put away the plane. I can’t blame her, it is a bit cold out. Samuel follows me, a little closer than I would prefer. I make a sharper than necessary turn while putting the plane away and come face to face with him. “Yes, Samuel? Something to say?”  
He glares at me, but I read concern for the Fae in him. He sighs “Just… be careful around Ariana.”   
“Be careful of her or careful for her?” I challenge him. He is bringing a Fae that I do not know onto my territory, and is warning me of her. I let him see what I think of that.   
He replies “She has an aversion of sorts to canine creatures.”  
I laugh “And she’s hanging out with you? Forgive me for being surprised.”  
Samuel growls. I acquiesce “I’ll be nice to her, if that is your concern.”  
He looks at me with speculation in his eyes “I see what Charles meant. I can’t tell if you are naïve or insane, Sydney. Either way, you are probably in so far over your head.”   
I smile and suggest “I could also be an old and canny wolf that’s manipulating you all.” He just shakes his head. I smile and turn my back on him to head for the car. It is a dangerous thing to do, to turn your back on a wolf. It can either mean you are running from them, or you are leading them, and it is a very fine line. But if done properly, it is a dismissal of them and a sign that you consider the danger of having them at your back insignificant. 

We arrive at the house, and I invite them in. A few pack members are there already. I call Max and Julian into my study, and suggest subtly to Eli that he should talk to Ariana. A submissive wolf is considerably less threatening than the rest of us. Samuel follows us into the room. I sit down and gesture to the rest that they should be seated. I perform introductions “Samuel Cornick, this is my second, Max and my third, Julian. I am guessing his reason for being here is damage control if I somehow screw up hunting down a rogue.” I allow just a hint of amusement into my voice but then become serious. “Let’s start with your report Julian.”   
He nods “I followed a scent from the murder scene to a river, but it appears that our wolf crossed the river. It wasn’t dangerously deep. I went around across a bridge, but was unable to pick up his scent on the other side.” I frown, but gesture for him to continue “His footsteps were steady, but something about his scent didn’t smell healthy.”   
Max adds “Maybe he drowned in the river? Werewolves sink, far as I know.”   
I reply “Not if they can stand in the river. Was that the case, Julian?”  
“No,” He replies “I could have easily have crossed the river, but I chose not to get wet.” I raise and eyebrow and he begins to defend himself; “The scent was stale. Another few minutes wouldn’t have made a difference.”   
I sigh “Alright, last night was three from the full moon. It is possible the wolf was moon mad.” I look around the room. “But I learned that this wolf is an older wolf. Older wolves are less likely to be moon mad, and more likely to just be crazy. I have a hunch that there is something nasty involved, but no proof whatsoever. I will advise caution though.” I pause “Then the plan is thus. Max, I would like you and Julian to take a few wolves and see if you can’t catch the scent. Make sweep both sides of the river, up and down. The scent must be there somewhere. Try to think about what you would do in that situation if you were trying to avoid pursuit. I’ll see if I can’t find out more about our wolf and trace his movements through the town. Search until sundown, then report back to me.” Max and Julian nod in acknowledgment then leave the room. I pull out my computer then address Samuel, who has not left the room. “Yes, Samuel?”  
He has a challenging gleam in his eye as he asks “Why do you not lead the hunt, Sydney?”  
I reply “Because I am more useful here. I have skills that most of my wolves lack.”  
“Such as?”  
“Computer skills.” An evasion on my part.  
“Why else, Sydney? You must have a further reason.”  
“If I start the hunt, I will finish it. I can call my wolves back to report once a location for the rogue is established. I might not sit back and think it through myself. The time for that will be later, when I am sure of the situation.” Samuel smiles finally satisfied with my answer. He leaves the room. I log onto my computer and activate my internal security cameras. I program them to watch Samuel and Ariana. Now I will be able to keep an eye on both of them wherever they are in my house. I then begin my investigation into the murder that occurred yesterday. I pull all of the details I can from the newspaper and the official report. I then hack the medical records. I am not a doctor, but I have one in residence. Perhaps I will ask his expert opinion, because something doesn’t seem quite right about the report and attached pictures. I also hack the police records and get the exact timing and details. About an hour has passed by the time I have finished. I take another look at the medical and coroners reports and print them off. I will ask Samuel just to get a second opinion. I check his location on the cameras and find him prowling around my basement, dangerously close to where I keep some of my more secret things. He won’t find them, except by chance, but I don’t like him down there.   
I call “Samuel, I have a question for you. What are you doing in the dirty basement anyway? I haven’t cleaned down there for ages.” Dirt is a good excuse, and happens to be entirely true. I should clean my house more often. I hear him very softly start up the stairs. I ask him “So you’re a fully certified doctor and all that right? Been to school recently?” He appears out of the gloom of my basement. He didn’t turn the lights on.  
“Yes. I am a modern, fully certified doctor.”  
“Great, come to the kitchen. I have some reports I would like a second opinion on.” We walk into the kitchen. Eli is still talking to Ariana, but she seems to be much more relaxed now. Good submissive wolves can be such a blessing to a pack. They aren’t weak by any means, but they are a lot less intimidating to guests. Behind me, Samuel growls, a deep sound that makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I notice then that Eli is actually holding Ariana’s hand. It looks more comforting than romantic to me, but dominant werewolves are touchy. Ariana looks around, slightly worried, but then she sees Samuel and seems much more confident as her face lights up. Eli gently removes his hand from hers and drops his eyes as soon as he looks at Samuel. I simply shrug and sit down next to Eli, leaving the seat next to Ariana open for Samuel.   
He asks “So what do you want me to look at?” I slide him the medical reports in a beige folder that looks like it might come from a hospital.   
I explain “I read through them, and I admit I am not a licensed doctor or nurse, but it seems to me that the pictures and the words don’t mean the same thing. It is pretty obvious that the wounds are from two different knives, one about 4 inches and the other about 7, but the way it was described doesn’t seem to match that.”  
Samuel looks up “The description is that of a classic werewolf attack. I would need to see the body to determine it myself, but if they are knife wounds, as you say, then there is a discrepancy.” I nod in satisfaction. I knew there was something odd about this. He frowns “Sydney, where did you get this report? These reports aren’t supposed to leave the hospital.”  
I lower my eyes demurely “I have my ways.” I flutter my lashes, not expecting the surge of rage from Ariana. I glance at her and say “Peace, Lady.” I know the title will recall her, and my reaction should stymie her rage, because I do not want an out-of-control sidhe lady in my house. It would be a nightmare.   
   
Chapter 12

My cell rings into the silence, and the group takes a bit of a collective sigh of relief. I answer it “Hello, Sydney speaking. How may I help you?”  
“Sydney, the female that calls herself alpha?”  
“That would be me. I am Alpha of this pack. How may I help you?”  
The person on the other end laughs “You won’t be Alpha much longer, if indeed you ever were. Women can’t hold that title, never have and never will. If the Marrok doesn’t have you killed over the upcoming scandal, you will be defeated in combat. It isn’t hard to defeat a woman who thinks she can fight.” Eli winces. Phone conversations among wolves aren’t ever private because of our enhanced senses.   
“Thank you for your concern, but I am Alpha, and will remain so. Please find something else to concern yourself with. Or, you could give me your name, and we could discuss this as civilized creatures.” The phone clicks as he hangs up. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. As I exhale I sigh. I had hoped the world had changed from when I last held a pack, but apparently not that much. I ask “Anybody recognize the voice?” They all shake their head. I glance at Eli because he looks a little unsure. “Eli? Any idea?”  
“It sounded like an Alpha.”   
“Why would you say that?”  
“Because of the tone of command in his voice. Alphas almost always have it, other wolves rarely do. He gives orders and expects them to be obeyed because they usually are.”   
I nod “If you say so, it probably is. I wouldn’t notice something like that.”   
Eli rolls his eyes “You definitely have the command voice, but you actually use it effectively, unlike most Alphas.”   
“Thanks, I think.” I’m not entirely sure what that is supposed to mean. Eli grins. My phone rings again and I look at it doubtfully. I sense the laughter before I hear it. I look up “It’s Max. I wonder what they found?” I answer the phone. “What’s up?” I really like the teenage slang these days.  
“We have two trails, we think we know where the wolf is hiding.” I wince. I have a feeling the next part won’t be good. He continues “But it is a bit weird, it appears that the wolf is hiding in a cabin, which means he probably isn’t in wolf form, as we had previously assumed.”  
Julian interrupts “Something isn’t right here. I don’t know what, it’s just an instinct.”  
I say “I have to agree. I have the same feeling. Investigate further, but stay in groups of two. I would like at least one of every pair to be in human form, and any wolves with collars.” I hear a collective groan but continue “I would like to be able to talk our way out, if anything happens. I don’t need to lecture you all on caution again, do I?”   
I hear the reply “No, Sydney.”   
I smile “Good. Keep up the good work. When you are done, come back for food.” I let them cheer then hang up.  
Eli asks “Would you like me to make the food, Sydney?”   
I laugh but reply “Pick two wolves that aren’t busy now and I’ll order them to work with you.”  
He grins “Andrew and Susan would be great. They know how to cook, but just don’t like it.”   
I send the necessary texts and the wolves acknowledge that they will be there in a few minutes. I nod “They’re yours for the next few hours. Make something tasty.” Eli smiles, jumps up and heads to the kitchen.  
Samuel scowls “I didn’t know he could cook.”  
“He didn’t either until I snapped at him to help me in the kitchen. He has quite the talent for it, especially after I signed him up for cooking classes.” I smile with a bit of amusement, but I make sure to meet both Samuel and Ariana’s eyes. Samuel I could take because I am more dominant than him and perhaps a better fighter. Ariana I’m not sure about. The sidhe have much power, but she is not wholly a sidhe. There is something else in her that I do not understand, so I will treat her with much respect. My magic is meager compared to hers. I have the blood of one of the lesser Fae, and only a small portion at that. I am limited in what I can do. My greatest asset is the gift that allows me to sense the character, emotions and occasionally the stray thoughts of others. It isn’t true telepathy, and I don’t read thoughts unless I have no other choice. But it gives me a great advantage when dealing with the Fae. However, if someone can control their thoughts and emotions, my gift is nearly useless, except for the general sense of a person. The only person I have run into recently with that much control is Bran, with a wolf as terrifying as he is powerful.  
   
Chapter 13

As the pack eats, I sit in my study working on hacking the files that I know the Marrok must keep about all of his wolves. I traced the phone call I received to a cell phone in Lake County, Tennessee. Now I must find out what wolves live there. I am trusting Eli’s reaction that the mysterious caller is an alpha, which means I must learn who is Alpha at the location the call came from. But hacking into the Marrok’s files is a nightmare. Whoever does his computer stuff is very, very smart and good at it. I would love to meet him or her. The code used is welsh-based, on an ancient version of welsh. There are layers of code that would look like gibberish if I didn’t know some welsh. I sigh and keep working. Any coder this good leaves himself a backdoor to get into his program. If I assume that he is a dominant wolf, which is likely, where would they hide a back door?   
10 minutes later I find a backdoor and finally reach the files. I am tempted to leave a message, because I have the feeling I just set off an alarm. If you can’t slip in and out unseen, I always leave a taunting message. I debate whether it is worth it to provoke the Marrok, but decide to anyway. I leave the message in English, download my files and get out of there. I disconnect form the internet and wipe any traces of my computer on the network. I should be away clean, unless the person who designed the Marrok’s system was watching at that moment. I print the files and download them onto a flash drive, then delete the files from my computer completely, in case there happens to be a tracker of some sort embedded. I start to read the files when I hear a knocking on the door.   
“Come in” I call. The door opens, and Ariana comes in. I rise “Lady, what can I do for you?”  
“Why do you call me that? I hold no title and my glamour is completely human.”  
“You are a Sidhe Lady of great power. It would be inappropriate for me to address you otherwise.”   
She sighs and says “Please call me Ari. I have not been a Lady for a long time, if I ever was.”  
I nod and say “Please sit. What can I do for you, Ariana?” We sit.  
She asks “I just need a quiet place away from the wolves for a while. I have a bad history with dogs and wolves, and my father to blame for it.” Then I finally remember her story.   
It was a tragic tale that was obviously embroidered in the telling. As I remember it, Ariana was forced to make the Silver Borne, an artifact of great power, by her father under pain of torture. Her one true love, Sawyl Silverheart broke free of the witches spell that forced him to appear a wolf in order to kill her father and rescue her. Usually the story ends there, a happily ever after, but I heard a few versions that indicate otherwise. I give those versions credit, because there is no such thing as happily ever after for immortal beings. The most likely one has the witch recasting her spell and forcing Sawyl to turn against his lover, but he couldn’t hurt her, so he ran and never turned back, still in the hold of the witch. It is good to know that Ariana survived, but it is likely that the man forced to take on the appearance a wolf is dead. Humans just don’t live that long.   
I smile at her “Ariana, be welcome and merry in my home. I swear that none that are mine will harm you here.” I touch my voice with just a hint of power, so it is a binding promise.   
Surprise flashes over her face, but is quickly gone as she smiles “You are full of surprises Sydney.” The emphasis she puts on my name indicates she doesn’t believe it.   
I ask “What would you call me, Ariana of the Forest?”  
A mist drifts over Ariana’s eyes as she replies “Siren Einar is your name. Accepted well and truly. But also Sydney Lyman, Joan of Arc, Li Min, Ylva, and Sara. Your first name is Magnhild Berdfalk, child of the mountain, warrior in battle.” The mist suddenly clears form her eyes as she bursts out “Damn it, Sydney, why did you have to ask?”  
I shrug, trying to conceal how shaken up I am “I had no idea you had the gift of true naming, Ari. I have not told my first name in many years, it has too much power. But you won’t abuse that, will you? You’ll let me play my games with the other wolves.”   
She replies “You know, they can’t tell if you are an old wolf who escaped their notice, or if you are a young one that paid attention to history and happens to be dominant.”  
I nod in agreement “The culture in Europe has not permitted dominant women, so dominant female werewolves did not survive because the internal struggle was too great. It is not that women are weaker than men; they just simply are taught not to be dominant. The way the pack law was interpreted didn’t help either. But society has changed, and there will be more dominant women coming. There are many already, I am not the first Alpha to permit women to fight for dominance.”   
Ariana inhales slightly “You are far older than they will believe. But be careful of Bran. He is old and powerful.”  
I smile wolfishly “I know.” She just shakes her head, but I know she will keep my secrets unless she has a really good reason to spill them, because she agrees with what I said. I go back to reading the files on the Tennessee Alpha. He seems to be quite a piece of work, and definitely fits the man who called me with the vague threat. There is only one way to find out. I pick up my phone and call the number listed. He picks up. I ask “Am I speaking with Mr. Johnson?” The person who answers say they’ll put him on. He picks up the phone.  
“Yes, who is this calling me?” The voice is a match so far, but I will keep going to be sure.  
“I am calling about your credit card. I would like to tell you about our new discount if you sign up for reward points. All you have to do is tell me your card number, and you will have double the rewards.” Ariana, who is still sitting in the chair across from me, tries not to laugh.  
“I don’t even have a credit card.” His voice turns menacing and I smile because it exactly matches the call I got earlier. “If any of you damn telemarketers call again, I will track you down and rip you to shreds. You are a nuisance to society and…”   
I hang up. Ariana laughs out loud. I smile in return. Perhaps we will be friends after all. I hear footsteps in the hallway and another knock on the door.  
 


	4. Chapter 14-19

Chapter 14

Samuel comes into the room. I gesture for him to take the other seat and he does. I ask “What brings you to my office as well?”  
He shrugs “I was disrupting the party. I can’t believe you let the submissive wolf take charge without chaos reining.”  
I grin “They know if they want good food, they must be nice. Max also supports him on everything. It works out somehow, and I am not inclined to interfere.” I continue “You will be staying the night? I have plenty of room.” It is true, I inherited a huge house. I feel a pang for the loss of my mate, although it was months ago, I still miss him. With calm clear thinking, I can accept it was better that he died before the madness overtook him, but I still mourn. My wolf is moving on, but I as the human half, move a little slower. I do not regret my decision to become Alpha again. The timing is right, and I think the world is ready.  
Samuel starts to reply to my earlier question “Thanks, but…” Ariana glares at him. It is rude to refuse after the promise I made her. Also, he was about to thank me, and one should never thank the Fae. They have a silent exchange that ends with Samuel agreeing to stay “We will be grateful to accept your hospitality this night.”  
I smile “You are welcome and I am glad you accepted my offer. Perhaps you can answer a question for me.” Samuel gestures for me to continue. “What do you know of the Tennessee Alpha?”  
Samuel frowns “He is old, but fair. We haven’t had any trouble with him far as I know. Actually if I remember correctly, he is related to Matthias, the wolf we think is rogue in the area. How did you come up with him?”  
“I suspect that he is the Alpha that called me.”  
Samuel replies “It is possible. I would not immediately recognize his voice.” I play him the conversation that I got from the phone call. “That’s him alright. I wonder why I didn’t recognize his voice earlier.”  
I shrug “I doubt he was ever threatening you. If you’ll excuse me, I should return to the party. I have a few commands to issue.” I get up, and Ariana and Samuel rise with me.  
As I walk into the kitchen, the wolves quiet down. They know when I mean business.  
“All right everyone, I have some orders to issue. But first I will tell you what is going on, as far as I understand it.” I wait for them to quiet down. “We have a rogue wolf, but I don’t believe he is moon mad. For one, the victim last night was attacked with knives, not claws. What that means, I don’t know. But if you spot or scent an unfamiliar wolf, take a picture with your phone and send it to me immediately. Use regular messaging, not a third party app.” A few wolves roll their eyes. “I am going to post a few of you to keep watch in shifts. Those of you that need to work tomorrow are exempt, of course. If anyone wants to stay the night, feel free. Samuel and Ariana are staying as well.” I raise my hands and add “Don’t forget, the full moon is tomorrow night. Meet at the usual spot.” Eli pokes his head out from the kitchen, and I give him a nod.  
“After you clear your plates, I will bring out desert.” I smile and set the example by clearing my own plate. The pack starts to leave as desert is served and consumed. Max and Julian remain along with a few other wolves who work part time or odd hours. I nod and form them up into shifts with the instructions to keep watch.  
   
Chapter 15

My phone rings bright and early at 6:00 am. I swear and answer it. It’s Andrew, one of my wolves. The police found another body in the next town over, and he saw it on the news on the way to work. I growl and get up. A few minutes later I have all of the required details. I know the police chief in that county, he and my late husband were good friends. He knows of the werewolves and that there is a local pack. I give him a call, on a hunch.  
“Hi Chief Bryan, its Sydney.”  
“Hello Sydney, I haven’t heard from you in a while. I can only assume you are calling about the incident this morning.”  
“You are quite correct. Is it connected to the murder night before last? Similarities and all that?” I can almost hear the wheels turning in his head.  
“Is it werewolves?”  
“I don’t know. I’m trying to determine that. If it is, I’ll have to take care of it.”  
“Murder isn’t common here, and based on the details we have so far I would say it is safe to say that they are connected.”  
“Could I possibly come take a look at the body?”  
“At 8:00 I could give you a few minutes.”  
“I greatly appreciate your help.” It could help me solve this mystery.  
“Sydney, a question.”  
“Yes?”  
“Who is Alpha now? I heard of your husband’s death.”  
I smile wolfishly, although he can’t see it. “I am.” My tone is sufficient to discourage him from asking any more questions. I head downstairs to make breakfast.  
Twenty minutes later, I have a kitchen of hungry werewolves happily munching on food. The smell even drags Samuel and Ariana out, as I had hoped. I ask the group as they are finishing up. Wolves eat fast. “Who want to go look at a dead body this morning?”  
Julian asks “Has there been another murder?” I nod in reply.  
He winces. “Sydney, don’t do anything rash.”  
I raise my eyebrows and look at him until he drops his eyes, then reply “I wasn’t intending to. I do intend to start the hunt myself. Two people have been killed on my territory.” My tone is deceptively mild, but does send a slight shiver through my wolves. Samuel’s face is inscrutable and Ariana has a polite expression on. “I am heading downtown, who is coming with me?”  
Julian shrugs “I will go with you, I already have the scent so it would be good to check if it is the same person.”  
Samuel says “Ari and I would like to see downtown. Could you drop us off?”  
“Of course, but you can take the blue car if you prefer. The keys are on the hook by the garage door. Those of you that stood watch last night, make sure you get some sleep. We hunt tonight.”  
I get up and head for the car, with Julian following.  
We arrive at the morgue and go to the back entrance. Julian has done this before and knows how it goes. It has been years since the last rogue came through the area, but apparently that is why the county sheriff knows about us wolves. The chief meets us at the door and walks us to the room. He asks “Seriously, was it a werewolf? Is there a rogue in the area?”  
I reply “I got a tip off of sorts that there is a mad wolf in the area. Based on the scent around the murder scene that my wolves investigated yesterday we think it was a werewolf in human form. It is a bit of a mystery to me.”  
He sighs “I am sure you have gotten this question, but I thought women couldn’t be Alpha.”  
I smile slightly, my typical laugh being out of character for this place, with the presence of the dead so close. “That is the general consensus, however, in the strictest sense, the Alpha is whoever can take and hold a pack. I can, so I am Alpha.”  
Julian adds “What she means by that is that the wolf who killed her mate in challenge took the pack, but she challenged and defeated him.” I add a silent note of caution to Julian. In my experience, police don’t like to think that there is a killer next to them. We arrive at the door to the room and the chief opens it with his key.  
“Five minutes is all I can spare. The family is coming at 9:00 to pick up the body.” I nod and step into the room with my eyes closed as I discern everything I can from scent alone. Age, gender, has a dog at home; the killer had the distinctive musk and mint scent of a wolf. The man was married with two children, although his wife might have been cheating on him. I focus on the werewolf. He carries the scent of a more southern state, but very little tang of civilization. The wolf must have been traveling in the woods for a long time. He walked here, didn’t take a car or bus. No scent of moon madness, but there is the bitter taste of the insanity that comes of old age. I open my eyes and begin to categorize the wounds. I look at Julian, who is struggling to control himself. This man was also killed violently. The death wound was with the same knife as the pictures of the last body indicated, but much of the damage was done afterward, with claws. The body is still fairly fresh, so I can see there was a block of time between when the man was killed with the knife and when he was mutilated by werewolf claws. Then I see the bite marks, and I am sure this is a werewolf kill, with the wolf just riding this edge of sanity. Part of the body is missing, just the tastiest bits. The wolf that made this kill needs to die, because he has lost control. Julian looks sick as he struggles to control his wolf. The body does look like a tasty snack.  
   
Chapter 16

Julian sags as soon as we get in the car. He moans “I’ve been a wolf for over 100 years, why can’t I control myself yet?”  
I grin and tease him “The body did look like a tasty snack, huh?”  
He curls up and asks “Why?”  
“Why what?”  
“Just… Never mind.”  
I shrug and answer the unspoken question “That is why control is so important. The hunger of the wolf never abates, never goes away, except in the presence of an Omega. That’s why we have an old, dominant, and mad rouge wolf right now. Something set him over the edge, and he is slowly losing control.”  
“How do you know?”  
“Know what? That control is important?”  
“No, that the wolf is old and mad.”  
“I already knew he was old, but that is not very relevant to hunting him. I could tell he was mad from the traces left on the body.”  
“Sydney, what did you do for a living? I got nothing except that the wounds were caused by something very sharp and inflicted after death. I’m not even sure if it was a knife or claws that did the damage. I matched the scent but got almost nothing from the faint trace that remained on the body.”  
I reply carefully “I am an old wolf, Julian. I have been many things in my life time. I was born a warrior, raised to triumph in battle. The Change derailed my entire life and forced me away from my family, but my training never left me. I have always been, first and foremost, a warrior.”  
He nods “You fight well.”  
I laugh without humor “I accept the compliment, but you haven’t seen me actually fight.” I close my eyes for a few seconds as his words recall a memory of long ago. I open them quickly, because I am driving, but I remember why Samuel is familiar. I feel like an idiot for not realizing it sooner. Sawyl is just an older version of the name Samuel. Samuel Cornick or Samuel Branson is the same as the Sawyl that was Ariana’s true love, or so I can assume. It makes sense, and perhaps I didn’t realize it because of how the story was told. It gives me a much better understanding of Samuel’s age, and Ariana’s choice to accompany him, as well as why she is trying to get over her fear of wolves. I have been trying to stay away from dominant wolves for the last few centuries, but it seems I measure up quite well, as I am more dominant than Samuel and he is supposed to be the third most dominant in the country.  
As we pull into the driveway, the phone rings.  
“Sydney here, what can I do for you?”  
“It’s Bran. What are you going to do about the rogue?”  
“I’m going hunting after the full moon.”  
“Do you have proof against him?” That was not the question I expected.  
“The person killed night before last was killed with two knives by a person with the scent of werewolf. The person tonight was killed by knife, but the mutilation was done by claws and parts of the body were missing. Nothing obvious after the savagery of the attack, and they won’t be autopsying the body, the cause of death is obvious. The scent of the killer had the bitter tang of madness to it. Not moon madness, but the insanity of old age. I must take the pack hunting tonight, but I don’t think the killer will kill tonight because he will also be stuck in wolf form.” That is more explaining than I usually do.  
I hear the sigh over the phone “I can have Samuel or Charles take care of it.”  
I suppress the wolf’s reaction to the thought of another dominant hunting on my territory without permission, and argue with logic. “They can’t do any better. This wolf is hiding his tracks, and they won’t be able to find him before the full moon anyway. My wolves have lost the rogue’s trail multiple times. His scent led to a cabin, but all of the scent trails stopped outside of it. I have wolves tracking the one today, but they have run into the same obstacles.”  
Bran replies “Alright, but I am telling Samuel to give you whatever help he deems necessary and appropriate.”  
“Fine.” I reply.  
   
Chapter 17

The hunt went well. We took down a couple of deer deep in the park last night. I wake up in the morning and shift back to human, because of the feeling of doom I have. I look at the news. The big bold headline says “Werewolf attack in upstate New York.” I swear and hop in my car, leaving a note for Max to take over the cleanup of the hunt. I drive to the house, where my computer is. I wake Samuel up, who decided to remain at my house with Ariana and Max’s wife despite my invitation to join us in the hunt. He comes padding in as a wolf. I snap at him, my temper getting the better of me. “Shift back. Matthias attacked en masse last night. There are victims at the hospital.” He snarls at me, but I don’t break eye contact. We eventually decide to settle the dominance contest later.  
I research more information about the victims that are still living. The story that I am able to piece together is thus. A group was backpacking in the woods not too far out in the park. They were savagely attacked by a predator of some sort. Some of the men had guns and shot the wolf. They thought it was scared away, but it attacked from the other direction. A couple of newlyweds in the group were not severely injured, and apparently the wolf turned tail and ran for the woods. Four have been pronounced dead, and three have been airlifted to the hospital. The others in the group were not injured enough to be my concern, unless they started healing really quickly.  
Samuel comes back into the room, shifted and dressed. He looks annoyed but I don’t really care. “Tell me the situation.” He demands.  
“Matthias attacked a group hiking in the woods last night. Four are dead, but three have been airlifted to the hospital. I need you to go and see if they survive. Modern medicine can cause miracles, but so can the Change. One of my wolves is a nurse, who can get you in, but she has never had to deal with a changed werewolf before, and she isn’t dominant. The others that were attacked were not injured enough to be airlifted, so I can check up on them later. It sounds like some of the people had guns and knew how to use them. The wolf will shake of the lead bullets sooner or later, so I need to get to him before he kills anyone else on my territory.”  
“Is that wise?” I meet his eyes, not hiding my dominance.  
“Wise? Perhaps not. Am I doing it, yes. Once I finish that, I will have to deal with the cleanup. The police know of our existence, I suspect I will be getting a call sometime soon. I need to set up a few things, then I’m going hunting.” I take out my phone and call Rachel, the nurse in the pack. She works at the hospital, and can get Samuel in. Luckily, she already turned back to human and can meet him there in a few minutes. The ER will be chaotic enough that they won’t remark on the fact that it isn’t her shift right now. I instruct her to stay and help Samuel, and then I call Max and Julian to tell them what is happening. I then leave to go hunt the invader on my territory, as I have been wanting to since I learned of his appearance. I will let Max handle the pack and Julian handle the phone until I return. The roads are deserted as I speed to the place where the hikers were attacked. I park a half-mile away, shift, and run. Luckily, most of the people are gone, leaving me free to pick up the scent and follow it. The wolf is injured, but not badly, and heading for the deep woods. I hunt.  
It takes me only a few hours to track down the wolf. By the time I do, he is almost healed from the lead bullets. I howl a challenge, and he turns to meet me. This wolf is not foolish or stupid, but old and powerful in his own right. He has nothing on me though. I snarl and say telepathically “You have invaded my territory and killed those within it. Is there any reason I shouldn’t kill you?” He jumps at me with a wordless snarl, but the thoughts I can pick up seem to indicate that he believes women shouldn’t be Alphas. I meet his attack, and the fight is over quickly. He is too far gone to his insanity to fight well, and I am too dominant. Now I have to go clean up the mess this has caused.  
   
Chapter 18

“Thank you for calling, Chief” I say into the phone “I have the situation under control. There will be no more attacks, I swear it. I tracked down the rogue wolf.”  
He is furious “How can you be sure? I want no more attacks.”  
“The wolf that caused the trouble fell to insanity. It happens to people all the time, but is especially bad in werewolves. As I said, he won’t be bothering anyone. I am absolutely sure of it.”  
Finally my meaning penetrates his thick skull. I hear the inhale and the question “The wolf is dead?”  
“Werewolf justice is swift and final, Bryan. I am sure of it.” He can read between the lines and interpret the subtext. I hear the whispered curse, although a human wouldn’t have been able to.  
“What should I tell the press? I also have FBI breathing down my neck and they will have agents here within the hour. Cantrip arrived just five minutes ago.”  
I sigh. “Tell the government people a representative from the wolves will meet with them at 3:00 at the hotel conference room. I plan to be the representative, but I do not have final control over that. Also please stress that there is no current danger, so the situation is not urgent. I have a few things I must sort out first, so I will see you at 2:45 at the conference room.” I wait a few seconds then hang up. I grimace and call the Marrok.  
“Sydney. Give me an update, I saw the news.”  
“Matthias is dead. He was furious about my presence here as Alpha, but it was the madness that caused the damage last night. I think the moon made him to lose control. It is a mess, and I’m cleaning it up. How much does the government know? I am meeting with FBI and Cantrip at 3:00. I know what is publically available about wolves and what isn’t. I won’t go outside the lines unless I absolutely have to.”  
“I can have Samuel do it. He is more than capable of talking to a few feds.”  
“I need Sam in the hospital. Three critically injured people that aren’t dead yet. Any of them could be wolves. Besides, it’s my territory, and the feds understand that better than most humans. I’ll come out as Alpha, at least to the government. Depending on how that goes, I’ll set a meeting with the press for tomorrow.”  
Bran sounds serious, but I sense amusement “You have turned the situation to your advantage, Sydney.”  
“Any guidelines or advice? I wouldn’t want to interfere with your master plan.”  
He growls “Tell them it was a rogue, but don’t tell them directly that you killed him.”  
“I know. Men don’t like it when they learn that the pretty girl in front of them is a killer.”  
“Just be careful and keep your temper, but with the Feds don’t be afraid to intimidate.”  
“I appreciate the advice.” I disconnect just in time to answer the call. The caller ID says Rachel.  
“It’s Samuel. At least one is a wolf. He’s 28, somewhat dominant. In your pack, somewhere near the bottom, but nowhere near submissive.”  
I sigh, suddenly tired with the day as the adrenaline from the hunt fades. “Keep an eye on them. They will probably be released. If you can add in a few drops of something like snake venom to the IV or whatever, it will slow their healing a bit. Obviously not too much.”  
“Will that work?” I don’t answer his question.  
“What about the other victims? Are they going to become wolves?”  
“I would say no on the older man. He is in good shape and recovering normally, but I am not sure about the girl. She is hanging on by a thread, but I don’t think she will make it. I hear the sadness in his voice.  
“I greatly appreciate your help, Samuel. If you can get them released and to the safe room, either I or Max can probably control just about any wolf, and Julian or Alex could control most.”  
“I might be coming with the male tonight. He is healing quickly and is no longer critical, but is still unconscious.”  
“Good. I’m taking care of the publicity side, but I owe you something for this. My gratitude to you.”  
He replies “No debt is necessary, if this is resolved without the wolves coming off badly. Have you talked with my father?”  
“Yes, and gotten his approval.”  
“Great, see you later.”  
Ariana is standing at the door to my office, and I suspect her hearing is as good as any werewolf.  
“You offered him a debt, and he refused.” She says in a deceptively bland tone.  
“The debt will be paid if no harm is done to the wolves as a whole. I wasn’t planning on causing harm, but this gives me extra incentive.”  
“Werewolves are not usually big on debts.”  
I sigh “I have had extensive dealings with the fae before, and I may do so again. I need my credit among the Gray Lords to be as high as possible. That means acknowledging and paying my debts, as well as not lying. Werewolves can smell lies, you know.”  
She nods “And fae often have their own ways of telling lies from truth, but that doesn’t mean they can’t twist the truth into a pretzel.”  
I smile wryly, to indicate past experience “I know, believe me.” I look at her and ask “I’m sorry this isn’t much fun for you. I sent Samuel away and left you in a house of wolves.”  
She replies “I understand. Is there anything I can do?”  
“Probably not, but maybe…” I let it drift off to catch her attention.  
“Maybe what?”  
“I need someone to monitor the news and keep an eye on new information. I would have one of my wolves do it, but I would have to pull one of them from other stuff or from work. If you want to, you are welcome to.”  
“I’ll do that.”  
I smile “Great, use the computer downstairs. No password, I’ll check up on you in a while so I can get the latest news before my meeting.” She leaves, and I settle down to the work of finding the files on the agents sent by the various agencies that will probably be attending.

 

Chapter 19

I walk into the hotel at 2:40 with Eli to meet with the police chief. I am dressed formally, but not too fancy. Like everything else, my clothes convey a message. I go into the room and look around to get a good idea of what to expect. I chose a seat where I can watch the door, but not where I’m in the direct line of sight. I have Eli sit next to me on the left, closer to the door. I open my computer and set it to the side, where the screen isn’t visible from the door. I place some files in front of me, although I probably have the information memorized. At 3:45, Chief Bryan comes in. He sits down and starts asking “Sydney, what are you going to do?”  
I reply “Answer questions, as far as I’m permitted to.”  
“Permitted to by whom?”  
“That’s one that I’m not allowed to answer.” I look at my computer, effectively ending the conversation. I call Ariana and ask for the latest update. It seems that one of our local politicians is trying to stir up werewolf hate. I sigh and tell the chief “Mr. Addams is stirring up anti-fae/werewolf sentiments again.”  
Chief Bryan shrugs, “What do you expect? The attack is a perfect example of the danger of werewolves.” Someone walks into the room at 2:50. It is the FBI Agent Craig Goldstein. His record says that he is a werewolf specialist, although I’m not entirely sure what that is supposed to mean. I got the impression that the FBI doesn’t either.  
“Hello, I am Special Agent Craig Goldstein, werewolf specialist. I was told that someone from the wolves would be here to talk about the recent incident.” He is very, very controlled for a human; I can sense almost nothing from him so far.  
I stand and reply “Hello, I am Sydney Lyman. I suppose I qualify as someone from the wolves.” We shake hands. Chief Bryan stays sitting, as I think the two men have already met. I move my hand slightly and Eli introduces himself “I am Elijah, submissive of the Saranac pack. I am here to help facilitate things, I believe was the word.” He glances at me, almost involuntarily, but it makes it clear that I am in charge here, not him, even though I have not introduced myself as Alpha. I watch the agent’s eyes focus on me and I can tell he is slightly puzzled.  
I smile inwardly and gesture “Please take a seat, I believe we are just waiting on the two Cantrip agents.” I detect faint annoyance from him. If there is enough animosity between the two agencies, I can control this meeting start to finish. At 3:00 exactly, the Cantrip agents walk in the door. I rise and welcome them “Please sit, with your arrival, we can get started. I am Sydney Lyman, representing the werewolves. This is Elijah, the pack submissive, and county sheriff Chief Bryan.”  
Before I can introduce him, Agent Goldstein introduces himself. “I am Special Agent Goldstein, werewolf specialist.”  
The Cantrip agents introduce themselves “Agent Jim Fletcher”  
“Agent Patricia Small.” As they sit she continues “We are here because of the possibility that the recent mass homicide could be a werewolf attack.”  
I allow a slight bit of annoyance to cross my face. “Yes, it was a werewolf attack. I can confirm that, if you wish.”  
The FBI agent leans forward “What is being done to bring the killer to justice?”  
Eli replies “The killer has been dealt with. There will be no more murders, at least by that wolf.” We are playing a sort of game. Eli is supposed to be a bit nasty and I am supposed to be gracious but clearly in charge.  
“Why are you so sure of that?” asks one of the Cantrip agents.  
Eli gives a wolfish grin “The killer has been dealt with. Permanently.” He imitates the gangster in the movie we watched last week pretty well. I almost laugh as the Cantrip agents blanch as they realize what he means. I thought that was a bit harsh, but Eli doesn’t have many chances to intimidate people. Surprisingly, the FBI agent is mostly unaffected. Then I remember a rumor I heard that he might have worked with Charles in Boston some time ago. I suppose it could be the same agent, but I will need to confirm that. If he has dealt with Charles then Eli won’t scare him. Eli really isn’t a scary werewolf at all, and Charles must be terrifying to the poor humans.  
Agent Goldstein asks “Why did you call this meeting?” His voice is pleasantly curious.  
I finally add my piece “It is only polite to let you know, and I hope to prevent a hunt for werewolves. The pack here is going through a difficult time, and I intend to release some details to the press about what happened to prevent unrest in the community. Also, if you are aware that the matter has been taken care of, then there won’t be a lengthy investigation that unsettles people and worries the pack. Too many people just see werewolves as monsters because of a few bad ones.” My voice is smooth and reassuring. The Cantrip agents are slightly confused, but they ask more questions.  
Agent Small asks “How did you know the killer was a werewolf?”  
“For one, it was all over the news. Also, the Alpha here got a call from another alpha the day after the first murder that there might have been a rogue wolf in the territory. The pack checked out the murder scene and found unfamiliar werewolf scent and attempted to track it. The scent trail apparently disappeared, so the pack assumed the wolf left. After the second murder, they tried much harder to find the wolf.” I glance at Eli and let him continue the story.  
“We traced the rogue to a cabin, but we were unable to find him in either human or wolf form. The scent trails vanished. We got a photo ID and name from the other Alpha and gave those to the police, but nothing came of it. The night after was the full moon, so we were all in wolf form and unable to do anything. We think the moon drove the rogue over the edge. Our third says that the wolf was clearly mad after the second murder. Earlier today, our Alpha managed to track down the rogue.”  
Agent Goldstein glances at Chief Bryan and he replies “We considered it, but we didn’t think the incidents were connected, because of the distance between them. Forensics said that the first body was knife wounds, so I have to say that we didn’t take the info from the wolves all that seriously.”  
I nod and say “We will work on communication in case anything comes up, although I don’t expect it to.” The Cantrip agents look bored and uncomfortable to be sitting at a table with werewolves. I decide to see if they will leave. “I believe that is everything we need to discuss. Are there any other questions that I could answer for you?”  
Agent Fletcher asks “Is there likely to be any further attacks.”  
Eli replies “No, we will make sure no other wolves invade our territory. This will not happen again, it is a disgrace.” He is laying it on a bit think.  
I add “Mad wolves are rare, and this one was either exceptionally lucky or smart. It is extremely unlikely.” I pause, but no further questions are forthcoming. I smile “I appreciate you took the time to come meet with us and discuss this. If you would like to see the crime scenes?” I glance at the sheriff.  
He says “I will be happy to take you there.”  
Agent Small replies “I don’t think that will be necessary, but thank you for the offer.” They get up to leave and I and Eli rise with them. The FBI agent and Chief Bryan make eye contact and stay seated. Cantrip leaves, I glance at the other two and sit back down.  
I smile “Okay, ask your real questions. I can see you aren’t satisfied with the standard responses.” Chief Bryan relaxes a bit, and I realize that he didn’t like Cantrip.  
Agent Goldstein asks “What are you doing about the victims? I know three were savagely mauled by the werewolf.”  
Eli replies “It isn’t the first time this sort of thing has happened to a pack. We have protocols in place.” Agent Goldstein looks skeptical. My instincts say I should trust him, so perhaps I’ll tell him a bit more.  
I ask “Is this all going to be kept confidential? I don’t’ know exactly where werewolves stand with the FBI.”  
He replies “We won’t release information unless forced to. Right now, we are looking to work with wolves more, after the help they gave us in Boston.”  
Eli looks up, and his face regains part of its characteristic vitality that he was hiding to intimidate the Cantrip agents. He asks “Were you on the case that Charles got called in for? The serial killer that took down a few werewolves in Boston?”  
Agent Goldstein replies “I was, yes.”  
Eli nods “I knew one of them.” We all know what he means.  
Just before the silence becomes awkward Chief Bryan asks “Was that bad cop/good cop or something?” The chief had no idea Eli was a werewolf, although they had met before.  
Eli grins, his real smile, and I can tell he likes the FBI agent. I reply “Not quite. I copied it from a fairy Queen I had the pleasure of an acquaintance with some time ago. Gracious host and dangerous subject might be closer.”  
I can almost see the lightbulb go off in Agent Goldstein’s head as he asks “Are you a werewolf, Mrs. Lyman?”  
 


	5. 20-24

Chapter 20

I ponder what I know of the man and what my instincts say. I hacked his records and achievements and reviewed some of the cases he has completed. I decide to trust him. If it doesn’t work out, I could always kill him. I reply to his question about me being a werewolf with “I am Alpha of the Saranac pack, in whose territory you now reside.”  
He asks “Aren’t Alpha werewolves supposed to be dominant males?”  
I feel Eli wince beside me and hear Chief Bryan inhale slightly. I grin a very wolfish smile as I meet the Agent’s eyes “I am dominant, Agent Goldstein.” I feel his flinch, although he doesn’t move outwardly. He does have very good control over himself. I hold his eyes for a few seconds as mine turn the bright green of my wolf. He finally looks down and I continue “I am a woman, but this is definitely the time to overturn gender stereotypes, don’t you think? If I can hold a pack, there is no reason I shouldn’t be Alpha.”   
Eli interrupts me “Many werewolves would disagree with her, but some of them also come from a time when women couldn’t vote. Also,” He adds with a wry grin “They haven’t met Sydney.” I scowl at him, but I’m not serious and he knows it.   
Agent Goldstein asks “What are you actually doing for the victims?”  
I reply, serious now “We have some people in the hospital looking to see if they show signs of the Change. If that is the case, we will be sure to get hold of them, and probably bring them to the pack headquarters to recover. We will be sure to check on all of the victims who were harmed by the wolf, although it usually takes a life-threatening injury for the change to take place. If any of the victims were Changed, we will bring them into the pack and do everything we can for them. It is unfortunate that this happened, but not unique.”  
Eli adds softly “The chances of surviving a forced Change are quite low, but it does happen from time to time.”  
The Agent asks “Can you tell me if any of them were Changed?”  
I reply “It is early to tell, and I wouldn’t anyway. If they survive, they will have a long and hard struggle ahead. I will not make that harder for them. Even if information is supposed to be secret, personal information has a way of getting out.”  
He nods “I respect that. Very well, what can you tell me about what you will do for the newly changed werewolves?”  
I shrug “I’m not sure how much I am permitted to release about that. Suffice it to say, good leadership will do most of it.”  
“Who lays restrictions on Alpha wolves?”  
“That I know I am not permitted to say. No one will cross him if they can avoid it.”  
“Would this possibly be the werewolf called the Marrok?”  
“I couldn’t say. Do you mean the knight of King Arthur that was turned into a wolf by an evil witch?” As I think about it, I realize how close the story of that knight is to the real Marrok.  
He continues “Fine, how many wolves do you have here?”  
“I won’t say that. None are out to the press, and only a few in the community. I will respect their wishes in this.”  
“How about you?”  
“I intend to come out sooner or later. I would prefer not to go public over an attack, but if I need to, I will.” It is important he know I am serious about this.  
“One more question, and then you can show me the crime scenes. Why did this wolf go mad? I hear about rogue wolves from time to time, and they are usually labeled as insane.”  
“This wolf in particular was old, and he lost control over himself. This isn’t to be released, but he was a lone wolf in Pennsylvania. When an older wolf loses control, he is much more dangerous than a young one.”  
“Why?”  
“Old wolves retain the cunning and intelligence of their human half. Younger ones are all emotion. A young wolf would be more likely to be moon-mad and would be unthinking rage and emotion. Anyone with a gun could stop them temporarily, or kill them with silver bullets.”  
“I thought wolves were fairly indestructible.”  
“We are. It is very hard to kill us, and we look after each other. But a typical rogue wolf isn’t thinking clearly and so might not take the time to recover from an injury, or won’t move out of the path of a gun.”  
He nods “That makes sense. Could I see the crime scenes in order, first to last? I would like to be able to recognize this again.” I glance at the chief. I am not sure when this agent started directing the meeting, but he did it very well.  
Chief Bryan replies “Sure. I am marking the case closed, eyes laid on the body of the killer. It happens sometimes when family gets involved, and we can’t pursue it further. Sydney can take you, I’m sure.” I feel a smile twitch across my features. It is not often I get forced into something.  
I reply “That’s fine with me, but you’ll have to excuse me if I take phone calls. There’s a lot going on right now.”  
Eli asks “Sydney, would you mind if I head back?”  
“Yes, check on our guest, if you don’t mind.” Eli leaves.   
Chief Bryan smiles, pleased with himself “If that’s all, I’ll send an officer to meet you at the first crime scene.” He starts towards the door then stops and asks “Sydney, do I have any werewolves working for me?” He means are there werewolves in his department.  
I raise my eyebrows and reply “I couldn’t say. I don’t micromanage my pack.”  
Agent Goldstein adds “Wolves typically do well in law enforcement, at least according to Adam Hauptman.” I keep my face carefully blank. There are two wolves working as police officers and another working as a secretary. Why he chose to be a secretary, I don’t know. Chief Bryan looks at me, sighs and leaves. Agent Goldstein gestures for me to lead the way.  
   
Chapter 21

We buckle into the car and head for the first crime scene. Agent Goldstein asks “Do you have a long acquaintance with the Fae then, Mrs. Lyman?”  
I realize that this agent is going to take every opportunity he can to find out more information about werewolves and Fae. I sigh “Call me Sydney, I don’t use my last name, I just haven’t gotten around changing it yet. I have dealt with the Fae from time to time.”  
“What do you think of their recent actions?” He means the various monsters unleashed by some of the Fae to terrify the humans. I recognize the strategy, but I’m not sure it will work.  
“The Fae are devious, Agent Goldstein. To some, humans are food or toys. To others, humans are just another race of animals to be ignored or hunted when the population gets out of control. However, many of the Fae believe humans are people and should be respected and bargained with fairly. Well, what passes for fair among the Fae. A very small number think that humans should bow and worship the Fae.”  
“How does that reflect upon their recent actions?”  
“I am sure you know of the Gray Lords by now.” He nods in reply, so I continue “The Gray Lords are just as the name suggests. All shades of black and white. Some are for humans, some against. All of them are very powerful. If you cross a Gray Lord the consequences are more than I care to think about.”  
“Alistair Beauclaire.” If he thinks I will tell him much about the more dangerous fae, he is sorely mistaken.  
I laugh. “Gwyn ap Lugh is old and dangerous, but fair. You met him in your Boston serial killer case.”   
“Would you tell me about his powers? Is he behind the release of these nastier creatures?”  
I snort “I doubt Alistair is behind the release of these creatures. He doesn’t like humans, far as I know, but he doesn’t prefer to eat them either. Justice was dispensed, on national television, so I doubt he would seek further revenge. Keep in mind, I haven’t met the guy, and you have. Most of what I know comes from others. Werewolves really don’t have much to do with the Fae. The Fae think that we are wild, dangerous animals.”  
“Would they be wrong?”  
I allow a wolfish smile to cross my face “What do you think, Agent? Should we be added to the Endangered Species list?” He is saved from answering by the phone ringing. “Hello, its Sydney.”  
“Sydney,” He begins. It’s Samuel.   
I interrupt “I’m in the car with the FBI agent.”  
Samuel asks “Can he hear me?” I flick on the radio.  
“Not anymore. It’s Agent Craig Goldstein.”  
“Who worked with Charles? He got into a car with you?”   
I reply “Yes, I know it is surprising. I can be charming when I wish to. Give me an update.”  
“The 28 year old, Josh Einstein, is recovering very rapidly. The doctors aren’t suspicious yet, but I give them about an hour. He has definitely made it through the Change. The girl is most likely dead. The other one is definitely not changed, but will survive. I am thinking about the medicine you suggested. Will it work?”  
“Yes, it will work. I have no idea what they have there, but exactly what I told you earlier will work. You’re better at it than I am though.” I am being very vague so my passenger won’t catch on to what I’m talking about.  
“Fine. I’ll do it. If something goes wrong, I’m blaming you.” He hangs up.   
Agent Goldstein asks “Who was that?”  
I reply “A werewolf that is looking after something for me.” We arrive at the crime scene. 

   
Chapter 22

A few hours later, we have visited both of the crime scenes that happened near civilization. Samuel called again, and asked me if I’ll be at the house in time to take care of the new wolf. I tell Agent Goldstein that it is getting late and we couldn’t hike to the third site and back before sunset. He is very focused on the case, and I receive a few impressions from my gift that I more typically get from werewolves than humans. Humans are predators too, although it is buried much deeper in today’s society. Either way, Agent Goldstein is on a hunt, although what for I am not sure. I drop him off downtown and head home.  
Rachel calls “Samuel said to tell you that he is on the way with Josh and to have the safe room ready. I had no idea Samuel was so dominant. It is only his influence that prevented Josh from changing. Whatever you had him do slowed the healing tremendously, but it was still fast. Also it made him extra dopy on the pain killers, which somehow made him start to change. Josh was discharged, and Samuel said he knew him and would take him home. I hope you realize that this is technically abduction.” I smile although Rachel can’t see it.  
“Thanks for the update. Planning on syncing the police on me?” Rachel’s mate is one of the police officers. I continue “Could you find out if he has any family, a wife or anything? Where does he work, who does he live with ect. It is fairly important if I am to make the Change go more smoothly.”  
“Alright, I’ll see what I can figure out. If anyone comes asking, what should I do?”  
“Have them call me immediately. The werewolves are out, so he can tell people if he wants.” I hang up the phone as I hear a car pull into the driveway. I think it is Samuel.  
Sure enough, a few seconds later, Samuel comes stalking through the door. I hear a sound that sounds like a body being dragged along behind him. I walk into the entryway and Samuel snarls at me “What did you have me do to him? I’ve never seen a wolf act this way.” The new wolf, Josh, is laughing hysterically as Samuel is dragging him by his feet.   
I ask “What did you give him? Was he on opium or something?”  
Samuel replies “I gave him a small dose of medicine that is similar to rattlesnake venom. In small doses it can be a good pain suppressant. He was hooked up to an IV with morphine, which is an opioid. What happened to him?”  
I wince “I suppose I should have thought about the pain meds. My guess is that they were prescribing and overly high dose because of the boosted metabolism from the change. The venom you added slowed his metabolism.”  
Samuel looks annoyed “He’s high.”   
“It’ll wear off pretty soon. Let’s put him in the safe room for now.” The safe room is in the basement. It has reinforced silver bars and a small window. As we carry him down the stairs, he starts to shift, still laughing hysterically. Samuel looks really annoyed as we carry him in. I am just amused at the fact that we ended up with a high werewolf. I close the cage behind us and direct the feed from the camera to my cell phone. It will buzz as well if there is a significant amount of noise.   
After we get up the steps Samuel asks in a suspiciously reasonable tone of voice “Where did you learn that little trick of adding venom to slow the healing of a werewolf undergoing the change?”  
I frown “You mean you never heard of it?”  
“Never. No drugs can affect werewolves.” I smell the lie and raise my eyebrow. He adds “No drugs except for one recently developed, but that was carefully engineered. We got rid of it because people were putting it in tranq guns.”  
I reply “It is a very long story involving a poisonous iguana. I’ll tell you it sometime, but I called a meeting for right now. Max and Eli are upstairs, and Julian is on his way. The door opens and Julian walks in. I gesture for him to follow me, and we sit at the table. I yell up the stairs “Meeting now.” Max, Eli and Ariana come down and sit at the table. I start “Reports from everyone. Max, how is the pack doing?”  
“They’re fine. Concerned about the various issues, but doing well. I told them all to go into work as normal. Mostly they want to know if you are going to use this to come out.”  
I reply “I wasn’t planning to, but if it will make things go smoother, I might. Julian?”  
“The phone has been buzzing. Everyone that even suspected you or your husband was in some way affiliated with werewolves called the home number. I told them you had nothing to do with the attack.”  
I smile. “That is much appreciated. Ariana, how is the community doing?” Samuel looks surprised that Ariana was doing anything.  
“Sydney had me keep an eye on the news.” She says to Samuel then turns to me “The community is upset and frightened. A certain politician is trying to stir up hate, but it isn’t working. I wouldn’t worry about him, he’s predicting doom and gloom. So long of nothing of what he says comes true, you’re fine.”   
“That is very helpful. We will probably have a new pack member; I will wait until the drugs wear off to ask him to join. He’s in the safe room.” My phone starts buzzing angrily, and I hear howling. I jump up and yell “meeting adjourned. Go home and get some sleep. Max, I want you here tomorrow morning, early to meet the new wolf.” As I leave the room, I have the feeling that I forgot something, but I am too concerned about the new wolf to notice.   
   
Chapter 23

I run downstairs, but slow as soon as I reach the cage. I open the door and go in. The drugs have faded and the wolf is feeling a lot of pain. He snarls and tries to bite me. I stare him down and put my hand on his muzzle. He acknowledges my dominance by dipping his head. I command him to shift back to human. I need to explain this to him, and it won’t work with the wolf in charge. His body ripples, and he falls to the floor in pain. I croon to him, soft nonsense in another language not spoken anymore. The man is very frightened, but his wolf will be settled by the voice of an Alpha. He finishes the shift back to human and collapses. I wait a minute, but he still seems very out of it and his eyes flutter closed. I lift him back onto the bed and cover him with the very soft blanket. I settle in to wait. I won’t sleep much this night.   
A short time later, he opens his eyes and looks around. I am sitting slightly behind him and I say in a much older, soothing voice “Sshh. You are safe. Relax and lie down. How are you feeling?”  
He replies in a harsh voice “Okay, I guess. I feel weird.”  
I say, still in a soothing tone “That is only to be expected. You are still feeling the effects of the Change.”  
“What change?” If he is lucid enough to ask, I’ll lead him to the answer.  
“Do you remember what happened?”  
“I was out camping in the woods with a group of people. We were attacked by a really big wolf. I think it might have been a werewolf. I remember being in a lot of pain and then I blacked out. I thought I was dying. Then I woke up in the hospital. I felt like I was floating.”  
I reply with a bit more of a wry tone, because he seems to be doing well. “They gave you pain meds in the hospital. We think they got the dose wrong, so you were a bit high.”   
He winces then looks shocked “I thought I was a wolf a while ago? O MY GOSH, am I a werewolf?” He sits up savagely and twists around towards me, and it reopens the wound on his side. It is mostly healed but the venom or whatever Samuel gave him is still affecting his healing.   
I come to his side saying “Hold still, don’t hurt yourself.” As I reach him and pull out a bandage I say in a quiet soothing tone “Yes, you survived the attack and became a werewolf.”   
He tenses up, although he lies back down. His voice goes cold and threatening “Why am I in a cage? Who are you?” As I put my hands on him and start bandaging his side I reply softly, although very firmly.  
“I am Alpha of the pack here. You are in the cage just as a safety precaution. Not all people make the change well.” His wolf is settled by my tone and the feel of my hands on him. Also, the man doesn’t view me as a threat, which is understandable if incorrect. He is lucid and functioning, although not thinking 100 percent. I can tell he is very smart, which will make my job easier.   
He asks “Why am I here?”  
I reply “That is a little more complicated to answer. A rogue wolf attacked your group of campers. He wasn’t from around here and we think he must have traveled to the area recently. You were airlifted to the hospital, and we brought you here once you were discharged. It isn’t smart to leave new werewolves wandering around on their own, as it could result in the type of attack that made you a werewolf.”  
“Are you saying I am going to go kill people?”  
“No, not if you have good control. It could take a few days to a few years to gain full control. There are many options, but you will be staying here for a few days. We will try to track down your stuff. Is there anyone you would like me to contact to let them know you are safe?”  
“No.” His no comes too quickly. It is clear he doesn’t feel safe, and is unsettled by the whole thing.   
“Rest now. You are healing quickly, and will feel better in a few hours. I’ll get you some food for when you wake up. Sleep now.” I add a command to my voice as I look him directly in the eye. He goes right to sleep. I go and prepare some food. I cook the steak just enough that the man will find it good to eat, especially in the darkness of the cage.   
By the time I finish, he is waking up. The smell of food brings him to alertness. I place the food in front of him and quietly move to a chair out of his line of sight. With food in front of him, he will forget I am there, giving me a better chance to read him and see what I can figure out. He is still only wearing the blanket, but it doesn’t seem to bother him. He finishes quickly and puts the plate on the floor. I ask “feeling better?”  
He twists around and demands “How long will you keep me here?”  
I reply “Until you can control the wolf.” He snarls as his eyes shift more towards a wolf color, maybe a yellow or orange shade. I meet his eyes in silent admonishment, and he drops his eyes within a few seconds. I get a good feel for his dominance, and he is in about the middle of the pack. “You see what I mean? I am Alpha of the Saranac pack. You will be much better off if you join the pack right now, at least for the short term. It will help your control and allow you more stability. It is also necessary if you intend to remain in the area. A new wolf has to join a pack.”  
“Do I have an option?”  
“If you would prefer to be somewhere else, you could join a pack there. But you need to join a pack, at least for now.”  
“What happens if I refuse?”   
I smile a wolfish smile “Then you are in trouble, and I send you to a higher authority. Wolf packs are not a democracy. I won’t force you to join my pack if you don’t want to. That is why I waited until you were lucid, although it is harder on you now; it will be better in the long run if you understand what happens.” I can feel his wolf rise as he gets upset by the idea that he doesn’t have a choice in the matter. I meet his eyes, and he submits. I add “Think about it. We can do the ceremony in the morning, when my second gets here.”   
I return to my chair, and stay absolutely silent. With the reassuring presence of an Alpha behind him, the wolf goes to sleep.  
   
Chapter 24

I moan as my phone rings. I finally got to sleep at about 6:30 when max came over and started watching the new wolf. It is 7:58, according to the digital clock. I consider not answering the phone, but then I glance at the caller ID. It’s the police. “Good Morning, what can I do for you?” I make an effort to make my voice perky, as if I haven’t just been woken up from about an hour of sleep after being up for over 24 hours.   
It’s Chief Bryan “We have a problem. A woman called us this morning, claiming that she was attacked by a savage beast that stole her daughter. Our officers arrived at the scene, and the woman was fine, there was only a bruise that appeared to be from falling or being hitting something. However, the apparently missing daughter left behind clothing in shreds, and there was blood on the clothes and on the floor and walls of the room. No trace of the daughter whatsoever, her phone, wallet and car keys are all on her dresser.”  
I wince “It could be that her daughter is a werewolf. It could also just be a crazy lady.”   
“She was one of the group hiking that was attacked by the werewolf. She was found out in the woods a distance away, much later than the rest. Reportedly, she had a lot of blood on her, but wasn’t severely injured except for a broken leg. Could that happen? Could a person be changed without severe injury?”  
It is a measure of my tiredness that I curse and reply “She would have had to be savaged, but might have healed by the time she was found.” I consider delegating, but wonder who I could trust to track down a new female wolf. “How old is the daughter?” If she is older, I could assign the job of finding her to someone else and go back to sleep.  
“She’s 17, turning 18 in a few months. Heading to college in the fall.” A child then. I sigh. I could assign it to Julian, but he wouldn’t know how to handle a child. Max is too intimidating and I need him to watch the new wolf. Also, he is still a new wolf himself. Liz works in the high school, but she isn’t dominant at all. Alex is plenty dominant, but I wouldn’t trust him alone with a girl. I could send a group, but that is too much of a hunt. That would terrify any wolf. Damn it, I’ll have to go.   
I ask “Where is the mother? Also, can someone show me to the house. If she is a werewolf, I’ll have to find the girl myself.”  
“The mother refuses to leave the house because she thinks her daughter will come back.”  
I laugh “She is probably right. Have someone stay with her just in case. What’s the address, I’ll be right there.” He gives me the address and I hang up. I dress and check in with Max. Josh is still sleeping, so we will wait to do the ceremony to induct him. I jump in my car.  
I arrive at the house. It is a small and well kept home. I am guessing that only two or three people could live there. I stay in the car for a moment, getting an understanding of the people that live in the house from their territory. Then I put a smile on my face and walk up to the door. One of my wolves, Emilio, opens the door in uniform. I raise my eyebrow at him and his partner who is standing next to him looks slightly confused. Now I understand why Chief Bryan called me. Emilio scented werewolf and asked the right questions to lead the Chief to the conclusion he should call me. I enter and see Chief and a woman in the kitchen talking. She is very agitated. As I enter the room, she turns to me. “Who is she?” She asks the Chief. I can tell she means me.   
Chief Bryan replies “I told you I brought in a consultant. She can identify if there was a monster or not.” He obviously is rethinking the idea that there was a monster. People still aren’t used to the fact the werewolves and fae walk the streets with complete freedom.  
The woman snarls and says “I don’t know what she is, but she ain’t human, I’ll tell you that. Unlike her nice puppy by the door, there’s something suspicious about her.” I swear inwardly. Gifted humans are such a nuisance. Some can spot non-humans and identify them with or without glamour. Also, she just betrayed Emilio to the Chief, he is smart enough to figure out what she means.   
My smile turns cold “You are quite right, Mrs. Steinton. I am a werewolf and have been so for quite some time. I was asked to see if I could figure out what happened to your daughter, being the resident expert on monsters.”  
Chief Bryan tries to interrupt “Ladies, please…”   
I raise my eyebrow at him “What I am, Mrs. Steinton, is the local Alpha. If there is a werewolf involved then I will be able to resolve the situation.”  
She responds “There are no female Alphas.”  
“Who can hold a pack becomes Alpha. I imagine I will have a few challenges coming as the other wolves get used to it, but I am Alpha and intend to remain so.”   
The woman is no longer completely hysterical. I have the feeling she knows something about werewolves. She says “What do you intend to do about my daughter?”   
“I will find her, then go from there.”  
“You will return her to me, will you not?”  
“I will see what the situation is. If she is nothing wrong with her, I’ll return her to you. If not, you will be able to see her. The sooner I start, the sooner this is resolved.”  
Chief Bryan frowns as he follows the conversation. I see the realization in his eyes as he figures out that we are talking around the issue of her daughter being Changed. The woman and I walk into the daughter’s bedroom. I ask “What is her name?”  
“Eliza. Elizabeth Bella Steinton.” I nod and glance around the room, trying to inhale subtly to avoid frightening either of the humans. I walk over to the dresser and pick up her phone. Chief Bryan tenses, as I am disturbing evidence at a possible crime scene. I toss the phone to Mrs. Steinton. “Can you get in? The phone seems to be the trigger.” It has the scent of rage, strong enough to set off the change in a new wolf. I can tell from the scents that the girl that lives here was Changed into a werewolf. It is a heady combination of fear and a feeling of power, but unusually, the overriding scent is fury. The wolf that left here intends serious harm to something. Mrs. Steinton unlocks the phone and hands it back to me. I have many tech skills, and could hack the phone or download a program and find what she was looking at last, but it is much easier to have the mother unlock it. I tap the messaging icon. The last message is from a boy, received late last night. She opened it early this morning. There is no response. I ask the mother “Did she have a boyfriend?” I scroll through the conversation as she replies  
“Yes, a George Wainston. He was a very nice boy, I thought. Why?”  
I reply “He told her late last night, that she was less important than sex. I would assume that she opened it this morning and the anger triggered the Change.”  
“She is a werewolf then?” asks Chief Bryan. “Is it safe?”  
I glance through the contacts and find her boyfriend’s address. Fortunately, he lives on the other side of town, but a wolf travels very fast when angered. I reply “It will be safe, if I get there fast enough.”   
The chief frowns “I don’t understand.” But I am already out the door into my car, with the phone back in the mother’s hands. I can see from her face that she understands. It is a terrible thing to happen to a parent, but it has happened time and time again. If the daughter is like the mother, she might survive.


	6. Chapter 25-28

Chapter 25

I arrive at the boyfriend’s house just in time to see a gray and red shape plunge through the open screen door. A few seconds later I hear a scream from inside. I run in, hoping to prevent the tragedy. I follow the screaming until it is hastily cut off with a gurgle. I curse, tripping over a rug in the unfamiliar place. It is a maze in this house. If the boyfriend survives… well he probably won’t. I finally reach the right room after a few wrong turns.  
Sure enough, Eliza is there standing over the boy. Amazingly he isn’t dead or Changed, but is unconscious. Then I see Eliza. She is battling her wolf. Her wolf wants to kill the boy for hurting them, and she doesn’t. I slowly move closer, absolutely silent until I put my hand on her shoulder and look into her eyes. “Eliza Bella, come forth.” I can help her with her wolf, just this once. Awareness comes back, and her eyes return to brown. I pick her up, keeping eye contact and physical contact and put her in the back of the car with the order to stay. It might work. I head back in to clean up the mess. The boy will live, but he needs medical attention. I smelled a dog in the house earlier. I find the dog and smear blood all over his claws and fur, then find the boy’s cell and call 911. I poke the dog so he barks into the phone then lock the dog in the house. As I go out, I realize that the screen door is busted. Oh well, I can let the police try to figure out that one.  
When I return to the car, I find a wolf waiting for me with pure blue eyes. They glimmer with rage. It seems that the wolf is in charge right now. I look into the wolf’s eyes and she submits, but not easily or quickly. I push down her nose; just to be sure it is clear who is in charge. I command her to stay and drive back to the pack headquarters. I ask Emilio if the Chief has left Mrs. Steinton’s house. He has. I call Mrs. Steinton.  
“Hello?” She answers. “Alpha wolf, what news do you report.” I am not sure how she knew it was me.  
I reply “Alive and in my care. I am not sure of anything more, and I won’t give false hope. I will reassure you that I have dealt with situations like this many times before. I will be in contact.” I hang up. I hate to do that to a mother, but it is the best way to do it. This way she won’t interfere. Emotional attachments can cause problems while adjusting to the Change. The wolf wines in the backseat. I look back and the eyes are darkening toward the human brown shade. Poor girl, the change is tough for anyone. I feel the tug of places long ago and far away. Perhaps I need to get some more sleep.  
We arrive at the house with the girl still in wolf form but her eyes are most of the way back to human. Probably only my command to stay is keeping her as a wolf. I get out of the car and open the door for her. I snap my fingers and she trails me up to the blue room. It is reinforced with silver, although it is hidden behind the sheetrock and wallpaper. It is also right next to my room. I look at the girl and command “Shift back and go to sleep. Clothes are in the dresser. I will answer your questions when you wake up. But for now, know that everyone is all right.”  
I leave the room and go to sleep.  
   
Chapter 26

I am woken by the crying of a girl. I am confused for a minute then I remember Eliza. I get up, find something that looks passably nice, and check that my glamour is intact. It tends to slip when I get really tired or angry. It is firmly in place though. I think back to the heavy handed way I handled everything earlier and wince. I thought I had gotten more controlled over the centuries, but apparently not. I still run over anyone in my path when I feel the need to. I smell food cooking and I decide to go investigate. It is Ariana in the kitchen, but Eli is sitting at the table next to Samuel. I raise my eyebrow and Eli starts protesting “It’s not my fault, I was going to cook, but she kicked me out of the kitchen. I don’t want to get fried by a powerful Fae.”  
I rub my forehead and say “Fine. When’s the food ready? I have two new wolves that I am sure are hungry.”  
Samuel smirks and says “You mean you’re hungry.” I glare at him, and he comes to his feet immediately at the challenge.  
I close my eyes and count to 10. I say “Later, Sam” and drop into a chair. He sits, reluctantly.  
Max walks into the room. “How’s it going Sydney?”  
I reply “Who’s with Josh?”  
“Alex. He stopped by after work. He’s plenty dominant, and Josh has a steady head on his shoulders. It’ll be fine.” Max knows my concerns about Alex. Alex is fourth, but could use a bit more of a moral compass. He had abused a few of the women in the pack, but I stopped him when I came. It hurt the structure and flow of the pack bonds. I shrug, resigned. If nothing exploded by now, it probably won’t.  
I answer the question “We have two new wolves. One is doing well, the other nearly killed her boyfriend. Amazingly, she controlled the wolf before I got there. I have gotten about four hours of sleep, and it will have to do. I intend to induct both into the pack at sunset. Max, since you are not with Josh, you need to make some phone calls to gather pack members for the ceremony. I want at least two female wolves there for Eliza to talk to. Pick some people that Josh will feel comfortable with too. Has he opened up at all? He was guarded last night.” I look at the sun. It is about noon judging from the angle. I laugh inwardly and glance at the clock. It reads 1:03 in the afternoon.  
Max replies “Josh is doing well, but you are right, he seems guarded. I was not able to get anybody that we should contact for him. I got the impression that he was mostly on his own.”  
I nod. Samuel speaks up “My father wants to know if you will be ready for the yearly meeting of Alphas in two months.”  
“I’ll be ready. That should be fascinating.” I take food up to Eliza to eat with her.  
“Is he okay? I mean really, don’t lie to me like mother does when she is worried?”  
I reply “Your ex-boyfriend? Yes, he’ll live.”  
“That’s good. I’m a werewolf, right? I mean I kinda figured that out, but it’s sort of scary. I feel pretty angry, and I can feel a wolf hiding inside me.” Oh gosh, the girl has her mother’s gift. I also scent just a faint trace of witchcraft. I have an untrained witch on my hands.  
“That is correct. You seem to be taking it very well.” The façade breaks down and the girl’s face contorts.  
“I mean, I don’t have a choice, do I? It sucks.” The false positivity reasserts itself “But Uncle George is a werewolf, and he seems to do okay with it. I haven’t seen him for a few years, but my mom says he’s actually my great-great grandfather. I don’t believe her though.”  
I laugh softly. Her prattle is just hiding her emotions and her razor sharp fury and being kept here. I will have to handle this carefully.  
“He could very well be your great-great grandfather. Werewolves live until they are killed. Now in terms of what is going to happen to you, you will be inducted into the pack at sunset.” With the order, the wolf comes to the surface as her eyes flash brilliant blue.  
“Why would I want to be in a wolf pack? I’m going to college in a few months.”  
I meet her eyes. “Eliza, you must learn control before you go anywhere.” She tries to stare me down, and when she can’t I feel a spike of frustration. But then she acts on it, and I feel the bite of a witchling spell.”  
I snarl at her and shred the spell. Spells act very unpredictably on me because of my strange mix of bloodlines. “You little witch. Spelling your Alpha is not a good way to start your acquaintance.” It reminds me of my first days in a pack. Granted, I killed the second a few days later in a fight, but I don’t think that will happen here. She looks shocked. “Now, you are going to be good, and in a few days we’ll see what happens. If you learn control quickly, you can be rid of me sooner. If not, you are stuck here under my control. Eat your food.” I get up and leave the room, bringing my plate with me.  
We induct the two members at sundown. I let them mingle with the people that Max invited. I stand back and fade into the background. Julian comes up to me, looking concerned. I gesture for him to speak. He says “She’s a witch.”  
“I know. Witches are useful, as long as we don’t treat her different.”  
“She is different. That is the official opinion.”  
“From the Marrok?”  
“He hates witches, as do his sons.”  
I explode “He has witchblood. Why would that be?”  
Julian shakes his head “There’s no way he’s a witch.”  
I sigh “He’s not a witch. His mother was. Maybe that’s why he hates witches.”  
“That doesn’t make sense.”  
“Not all mothers are good ones.” I’ve seen enough bad ones in my time. “At any rate, she was changed by accident and belongs in a pack. I’ll not have her treated differently for being witch.”  
“Make sure that is clear to the pack. Some will hate her for being witch.”  
I nod “If any approach you, remind them how much our current witch costs.” Witches charge for their services, and they aren’t cheap. A witch in the pack would be considerably cheaper. Julian returns to the crowd around the new members. Samuel approaches from the other side of the group.  
“You have a witch.” He says in a mild tone that I suspect is quite deceptive.  
“I do. She is part of my pack.” Forewarned by Julian just a few minutes before, I know Sam hates witches.  
“Werewolves and witches do not get along.”  
I shake my head “They get along extremely well. Perfect complements in some cases.”  
“Good witches are black witches, and black witches are evil.”  
“Not always. Why, I believe there is a wolf mated to a powerful white witch out West somewhere. Besides, could you call werewolves white?”  
“The easiest way for a witch to gain strength is to kill and torture things.”  
“But not the only way.”  
“This witch has killed things for power already.”  
“She is a 17 year-old girl.”  
“Exactly.”  
“She has not been trained well or for very long. She is also gifted.”  
Samuel snarls “The gift is a dangerous curse.”  
“Only when it is made to be so. It is called a gift for a reason.” I am surprised that a wolf as old as Samuel could be so prejudiced against witches. It is unreasonable, especially considering there are almost no powerful witches left that practice black magic in America or Europe. The families keep killing each other off. That reminds me, I need to figure out where this girl is from, and the mother is the best person for that. Perhaps Eliza would like a visit from her mom.  
   
Chapter 27

“Eliza darling, are you okay? How are you doing?”  
She grumbles like any teenager would “I’m fine Mom.” I analyze the mothers scent more closely as I back away to give them space. Outside the confines of her home, where she covered it with spices and fragrances, I can smell the old blood on her. She is a witch, but hasn’t practiced black magic in years. She does use the white magic to keep herself and her daughter hidden, no more. Now that I am looking, the spell slides off my senses. I am not a witch, and if I have witchblood it is a drop and no more. But my Fae heritage functions something like witch magic, except it is tied into the wood and glen as well as the pack. I am not sure what my magic would be if I were not a werewolf. At any rate I am qualified to teach other ways of doing magic besides the standard black magic. None could challenge black magic at its height, but black magic does not have the power it once did. The great black covens are no more. Even I would hesitate to challenge a proper black coven. Before that, there were great white covens. They were just as powerful, but the black witches hunted the white witches. The secrets of strong white magic are lost, just as the black secrets are lost now. Witches are secretive by nature, and that has been the downfall of the witch society time and time again.  
“Sydney, can I go home?” Eliza asks, shaking me from my thoughts.  
I shake my head “No, I’m afraid not. You still aren’t in control, which you need to be around normal humans.”  
Eliza snarls “I would never hurt my mom” as she comes to her feet. Her mother recoils, just slightly, but it is enough to tell me that this is not characteristic for her.  
I nod “But what if someone threatened your mom? Or tried to hurt you?”  
“I’d destroy them.” The wolf is in charge, just a bit.  
“That would be an issue, Eliza. We have had enough dead humans already.” I meet her eyes. I watch awareness come back as her eyes return to the chocolaty brown of her human self.  
She sinks back into her chair “I understand.”  
“I am glad that you do. Do you want to go get some food? I summon Eli with a stray thought. I wanted him to hang around today to help keep the house calmer for the new wolves.  
Eli comes in exclaiming “I am always surprised when you do that! It is just like Bran.”  
I had no idea the Marrok was telepathic. “Eli, this is Eliza’s mom. We are going to go talk in my office. I would like you to explain pack structure and ways of moving around in the pack to Eliza. Unless I miss my guess, she is dominant.”  
He laughs “A dominant witch. You sure know how to keep life interesting Sydney.” The mother tenses when he mentions that Eliza is a witch. I gesture for her mother to follow me into the living room. I sink into a chair and gesture for her to do the same. I steeple my fingers, a gesture I use to show concern and indicate that this is serious, but not dangerous. It is a subtly lost on werewolves, but effective with humans.  
I start bluntly “You and your daughter are witches.”  
“We’re not dangerous. We are white witches.”  
“All witches are dangerous. In this day and age, werewolves are more powerful. That isn’t my concern, but if you have enemies that will be coming after you that would be useful information.” She stiffens at this, confirming that there are enemies somewhere. I continue “You were not always a white witch. I can smell the old blood, although it is faint and covered by your spell. I didn’t know to look for it until your daughter threw a spell at me.”  
She winces “What spell?”  
I shrug “It’s irrelevant. I think it was a paralysis spell of some kind, but what I really need to know is how much training she has, and what type. You are both gifted with true-seeing, which is useful, but gets you into situations where you do things like tell the police chief that one of his officers is a werewolf.”  
She shrugs “What would you have me do?” I marvel at the similarities between this mother and daughter. They both see right to the heart of the issue.  
“Tell me about Uncle George.” She looks surprised.  
“He is my great grandfather or something. He sheltered us after I decided to leave my husband, but I could see that we were causing distress in his pack. He was second, I believe. Werewolves don’t like witches. I decided it had been long enough, and we moved. We have moved every few years ever since.”  
I add “Avoiding your husband and his family. Tell me about Eliza’s training.” I am asking around the sensitive issue that she seems determined to keep secret and has emotional baggage.  
“Eliza was trained how to be a witch from a young age. I stopped her training while we were with Uncle George, the wolves disapproved. After we left, I taught her everything I knew.” I smell a lie.  
I ask “Everything you knew except?”  
“I won’t teach her the black magic. I taught her the white magic that I learned from my mother before she was killed. Killed by witches.”  
“How old were you?” I don’t think she even realizes that she is answering my questions anymore. The alpha influence is soothing her and allowing her to unburden herself. She hasn’t told anyone this stuff for a long time.  
“I was a teenager. I taught myself some black magic, but didn’t like it much.”  
“How did you meet your husband?”  
“I moved out from my aunt’s house when I was 18. I was wandering the streets at night. I woke up and found myself chained in a basement with a few people arguing if I was a threat. The man I later married argued that I wasn’t an enemy and I was released. He called me the next day and asked me to lunch. I was about twenty, and hadn’t dated anyone seriously since high school. I suppose I fell in love, but I liked the protection that a strong family could offer to me and any children I might have. It didn’t hurt that he was handsome, sweet and charming. The black magic was just an aside, the only way to protect ourselves.”  
I ask “What happened?”  
“Eliza. I walked in on my mother-in-law teaching Eliza how to kill mice and use their energy for spells. There is something horrifying about a five-year-old torturing a fuzzy creature. I could do it without qualm, because I thought I needed to for protection, but I would not have my daughter steeped in black magic so young. Some witches enjoy it, and some don’t. Starting that young, she doesn’t have a choice. Black magic is corrosive to the soul.”  
I nudge “So you ran.”  
“Yes, I ran to Uncle George. He sheltered us, and had somebody do some tech stuff to get us off the grid. We stayed with the pack, and they loved having Eliza around. But then her eyes opened to the world, and she began to realize that werewolves were different. She also grew in power. She is much stronger than I am.” There is a mother’s pride in her voice. The mother is a true witch, which is so rare nowadays.  
I ask “Where does George live?”  
“Colorado, I think.” There a few packs in Colorado, and George is a common name.  
“Would you mind if I ask him if he would like to come here and see Eliza? It might help her to have someone she knows and can trust with how she feels. I am just a bit too distant for her.” I gently steer the conversation away from her personal life, so she doesn’t realize how much she has shared. I bring the conversation to a close once I think all of her concerns are settled. I then hack the Marrok’s files to find a phone number for George. That reminds me, I should officially notify him of my new pack members, even though I am sure Samuel has done it already. I retreat from the Marrok’s files and give him a call.  
“Sydney.” How does he always know it is me when I call? Maybe Eli is right and he is telepathic. I even used an unidentified number this time.  
“Hi Bran. I’m calling to notify you of the two new wolves, although I would be shocked if you didn’t know. Samuel and Julian both expressed concern to me about the girl being a witch.” I leave it at that to see what his reaction is.  
“Is that more than you can handle?”  
“Of course not. Witches nowadays aren’t a big concern. Eliza is strong for a white witch. What would be helpful is if you could give me a way to get into contact with the witch who is mated to one of the werewolves. Mated to Tom, I think. From the Emerald City.”  
“Moira, you mean. I’ll think about it. I try to keep witches apart so they don’t share secrets.”  
I get a flash of insight from my magic “You do hate witches. Amazing.”  
“Why would that be so?”  
“It just is. For one that seeks power to refuse so much is amazing.” He understands what I mean.  
I call Eliza’s Uncle George. He promises to fly right down as soon as possible. I decide it is time to start catching up on the work I have neglected.  
   
Chapter 28

I wake up to a low growling coming from the room next door. I look at the clock. 8:15. I roll out of bed and throw on some sweats. I walk into Eliza’s room. She and Samuel are snarling at each other. She is looking down, submissive, but still clearly upset. As I watch, Samuel jumps at her. I moved quickly between them, and push them to opposite sides of the room, furious. I growl “What is going on?” I look at Eliza and she submits. I look at Samuel and he meets my gaze with anger of his own.  
“She’s a witch.” As if that justifies an attack.  
“She is pack. An attack on her is an attack on me. She is a guest in my home.”  
He snarls, truly furious. I will accept nothing less than submission at this point. This issue has been hanging between us for some time. I don’t particularly want a dominance squabble, but I will not back down on this. Not with an outsider hurting my pack and challenging me. Who am I kidding? I want this fight and have since Samuel set foot on my territory. I keep eye contact as he challenges me. “Are you challenging me, Samuel Branson?”  
He too is furious. “How dare you shelter a black witch?”  
I respond shouting “She is pack. Mine to hold as I please.”  
“Witches aren’t pack.”  
“She is in my pack. I am Alpha.”  
“Maybe you shouldn’t be. Females can’t be Alpha anyway.”  
“I’ve been Alpha before. None can stop me. Do you challenge my right to hold this witch in my pack? Do you challenge me as Alpha?”  
“You have no right to hold a witch.”  
I throw back my head and laugh, finally getting my bearing in the fury. I have not been so alive since, oh it must have been the time I slew the Yeti in the highlands of China a century ago. It was eating the villagers. I am a warrior, born and bred for battle, the challenge and victory. “Fight me, Samuel Branson, or submit. My pack is mine, and none can change that without my death or consent.” I know my eyes are glowing and my face is demonic. He submits with a slight drop of his head and downturn of his eyes. I smile victoriously. I would have preferred a fight, but my wolf is content with his submission. He backs out of the room, and it takes a measure of self-control not to chase him. I check my glamour in the mirror. It has slipped a little, but not enough to reveal Fae blood. It just looks more intimidating. I fix it and turn to Eliza “So what happened?”  
She is shaking, poor girl “I don’t know. I was just casting the spell I do every morning. It is supposed to keep people from tracking me. I had done my preparations and cut myself to add the blood when he burst into the room. He accused me of being a witch and I felt like I had to agree to whatever he said. Why does that happen? Is he one of your wolves?”  
“No. He does not belong to me as you, or Max or Eli or Liz do. He is a very dominant werewolf, much more dominant that you. I would stay clear of him until he leaves, just to keep things civil. I have a feeling he will leave soon. Please hold off doing any more spells because you have a different dual nature now. They might not act the same. I will help you with that in a few days.”  
I leave and go shower and dress. When I get out of the shower, I smell the cooking of Eli’s breakfast. He is a godsend sometimes. I walk downstairs. Ariana is sitting at the table.  
“Sydney, what happened? Sam growled at me. He never does that.” She is distressed, as would anyone be if their mate growled at them. I am convinced that they are meant to be mates even if the bond is not there yet. I put up a finger and go and get coffee for us both.  
I take a sip and reply “Samuel walked in on my new witch doing a spell.” I wince at the emphasis I put on the word “my”. I continue “I walked in on Samuel jumping at the girl. We had some words.”  
She hears what I don’t say “You were the more dominant. Oh dear.” I nod, sipping my coffee. She adds “I suppose we will have to leave now.”  
I shrug “I won’t kick you out. You can both stay as long as you want. You are welcome any time.” I hesitate then add “But Sam will probably want to leave as soon as possible.”  
She sighs and I see her hands are shaking “Beasts don’t take well to being put in their place.”  
I get another flash of insight and say “You are mates, although the bond is weak yet. He would never lay a hand on you.”  
Ariana looks so sad. She asks “Are you certain?”  
I reply “Yes.” I meet her eyes and try to convey some of what I sense from him. It helps a little, but not enough. I sigh “Samuel Silverheart is still his name, is it not?” She looks up at me with a little surprise, but then I see hope brighten in her eyes.  
“It is. Thank you, Siren Einar. Thank you.”  
“You owe me no debt, Ariana. Don’t thank me.” She smiles. We sit back and drink coffee.  
After some time she shakes her head “The Cornicks really don’t know what they have gotten themselves into, and neither do you. I am going to have a front row seat for the spark show.”  
I laugh softly, for her words are the truth.  
Samuel storms into the room, but doesn’t meet my eyes. Ariana follows him. They leave less than an hour later.  
 


	7. Chapter 29-32

Chapter 29 

**POV CHANGE**

Sydney stalks off the plane confidently and in control. The conference of Alphas will start in the morning. It is always a delicate matter, the meeting of all of these dominant werewolves. It is a good way to separate the mad from the sane.  
The conference of Alpha’s started an hour ago. The Alpha from Tennessee challenged Sydney within a few moments of the start. The challenge is to be held in a few minutes. Ariana ghosts up next to Bran. He asks, completely shocked, “Ari, what are you doing here?”  
She laughs; pleased she was able to surprise him. “I wanted a front row seat when the sparks start flying.”  
“Where is Samuel?”  
“He hasn’t figured out where I am yet.”  
“I will not take responsibility for this. Sam is in bad enough of a mood.”  
Ariana laughs “Samuel will understand. I want to watch a woman crush all of these Alphas.”  
Bran frowns, trying to understand her last comment. “Why?”  
Ariana looks amazed “Oh no, did Samuel not tell you? You are totally in for it.” Despite Bran’s urging, she doesn’t explain her remarks. Ariana does get a front row seat for the fight, and everything that happens after it.  
The Tennessee alpha is about mid-range dominant for an Alpha. He strolls onto the ring like he owns it. The Siren just stands there, in a classic relaxed position. Not one particular fighting style or another. It is closest to the classic horse stance, but not exactly. No one knows what to make of her.  
The fight begins. The alpha dives forward, swinging fists and snapping up with a high kick. None of the blows connect as the Siren appears to move just slightly. He tries again, this time a savage uppercut that could kill a human. The Siren lifts one delicate hand and seems to brush the blow aside. Then she hits back, a driving blow under the ribs that lifts the alpha a good six inches into the air. The ribs crack with a sound that is nothing like crunching celery and more like something out of a horror movie. The Tennessee alpha falls to the ground, moaning. Sydney leans next to him and whispers “Yield.” He slaps the ground, a clear yield. She turns to walk off the field. He gets up silently, despite the damaged ribs and jumps after her, trying to get his hands around her neck and snap the delicate bones. Again, she moves almost imperceptibly, but he does get a scratch on her back. He readies himself to jump again, but the Siren still hasn’t turned around. As he jumps, her elbow comes back, crushing his windpipe and snapping his neck. The fight is over.  
The Alphas watch in surprise, and many of them reevaluate their opinion of a female being Alpha. The Tennessee alpha was known for believing women were second class, but he still respected them. He was also known as a savage fighter, which didn’t appear to be in evidence. Bran Cornick whistles, almost soundlessly. Charles, who is standing to his right as always, nods his agreement to the sentiment. This female Alpha is going to make this conference interesting.

“Sage. Please explain, what do you know about her?”  
“I don’t know if I actually know anything.” It is a most uncharacteristic response from her. Sage knows everything about anyone in Aspen Creek. Also uncharacteristic is the slight sob in her voice.  
“What was she doing at Asil’s house?”  
“I’m not sure. They obviously knew each other very well, and she talked about the greenhouse some. I saw them in the morning, but I think they were up late together. She had seen another garden of Asil’s, although where I have no idea.”  
“Did you get any idea of when or where they had met?”  
“I think she knew Asil’s mate. The Omega that was killed by the witch.”  
“You think, or know?”  
“I don’t know. There isn’t a single solid piece of evidence I could give you, Bran. She acts much like you. She and Asil definitely knew each other well. I don’t know which was more dominant.”  
The Marrok sighs. “Don’t worry about it, Sage. Just tell Asil to get himself down here now. Tell him I am annoyed with him.” Asil, who was listening to the conversation, as Bran probably knew, winces.  
After the phone line goes dead he grumbles “Why me? Why must I be stuck between the two scariest, oldest, most dominant werewolves in the world?”  
Sage replies “Your silver tongue.”  
“It ceases being effective when I learned all of my tricks from them.”  
Sage smiles, with the confidence of someone that has faith, “Asil, you’ll be fine. You are a very strong man.”  
He laughs, just a little, and gives her a hug. “Thank you, Sage.”  
   
Chapter 30

“Julian, tell me about your Alpha.”  
“She is my Alpha, and a good one at that. I would prefer not to.”  
“Come Julian, she won’t blame you for talking to me.”  
“Maybe, maybe not. I dare not cross either of you.”  
“Tell me about her arrival. I know most, but I could use a ground perspective.” Julian’s pulse spikes. He knows what Bran is doing, asking a small favor to get to a large one.  
But his voice is even as he replies “Sydney was just intending to pass through our territory, but we caught her. She was annoyed about it, but almost seemed resigned. In retrospect, I don’t think she knew about you, that there was a wolf in charge of all the packs. I recognized the signs that she was about to flee, but then her heart was caught by our Alpha, and they were mated within the month.”  
“How did the pack change?”  
“We grew, stronger and in numbers. Now I realize that she was preserving the last of our Alpha’s sanity. Despite that drain, her power spilled over, enriching the pack. I think most wolves didn’t realize why, just perhaps credited the bond, but the truth is that she was more dominant than he.”  
“When Sydney took over, what feelings did you get?”  
“The second she took over? Fury. It soon faded to amusement laced with something like resignation.”  
Bran nods “She knew exactly what she was doing, but was too angry to care.”  
Julian replies “Yes, and… well, the bonds settled in comfortably, almost immediately. I’ve never felt that from a shift in pack leadership, even when my Second took over from the Alpha without bloodshed.”  
“What do you know about her past?”  
Julian grins “Nothing, Bran, absolutely nothing.”  
Bran growls and hangs up.  
“Eli, tell me about your Alpha.” The Marrok demands a few seconds later.  
Eli groans “Bran, why? She is my Alpha. I don’t want to betray her.” The fear in his voice spikes.  
“Your ultimate loyalty is to me, is it not?”  
“Yes. But I don’t want to be in the cross-fire of this. I am not sure I would escape unscathed.”  
“Fine, why does she inspire such loyalty?”  
Eli asks “Who else did you call?”  
Bran growls, frustrated with all of these evasions. He snaps “Answer my question!”  
Eli cringes “For one, she doesn’t yell at me.”  
“Sorry. Continue.”  
Eli sighs “How do you explain loyalty? You inspire it, My previous Alpha inspires it, Sydney inspires it. Charles inspires the same loyalty, although most don’t realize it. It’s a breathless awe of the person combined with the knowledge that they will be just and care for you. You feel loyalty when you have a fearless leader to follow no matter what happens. A wolf so strong, although not necessarily dominant, that any would follow wherever they lead. Unfortunately, both good and bad people can inspire loyalty. I don’t know where either of you fall on that spectrum.”  
“That helps, but doesn’t tell me anything Eli. Who is she, where is she from?”  
“Asia, most recently. I can scent a lie, and that wasn’t it. Her appearance suggests Western Europe somewhere, but something about her appearance rings false. But to be honest Bran, I know nothing, and could tell you nothing other than that she is old and powerful, in her own right. One other detail, the vampires have left the wolves completely alone since she showed up here. In the many years I’ve been here, that has never happened. I would assume that they had moved, but I scented one in town the other day.” Eli hangs up suddenly, before the Marrok can draw anything else out of him. He curses his submissive nature that makes him jump whenever an Alpha commands it.  
Bran paces around the room, growling. Ariana sits very still, although she is over her fear of wolves, Bran would elicit a reaction from anyone. Charles relaxes on a chair, although out of his father’s line of sight. The door opens slightly and Anna comes in. “Bran, what has you so worked up?” she asks in a delicate voice, radiating a bit of calm. She goes to sit next to Charles, who puts an arm around her. Bran doesn’t respond. A minute later, he drops into a chair, Anna’s influence doing him some good. Ariana relaxes slightly. A knock on the door and Samuel comes in, with a hand on Asil’s back. It seems that Asil needed a bit of urging to come in. Sam sits next to Ariana and, although he doesn’t touch her, a connection is made. Asil hesitates before sitting down, clearly uncomfortable.  
Bran sits up and says “I called you all here to discuss our new female Alpha. I will be clear; I have no issue with the idea of a female Alpha. She seems to be doing quite well forging her own standing in the ranks. That and the possible political repercussions, mostly women being able to hold rank, are concerning but not preventable. What worries me is that her past is untraceable and I can find no firm record of her existence before about four years ago. So she is either a really young wolf, really old, or able to lie about her name.”  
Ariana pokes Samuel, drawing the attention of the room onto him. He shrugs and looks down, very uncharacteristic. He says softly “Not to add to your concern, father, but she is more dominant than I.” At the surprise that flashes across the room he adds “But that was in her territory with her pack around.”  
Bran asks “Would it be different otherwise?”  
Sam shakes his head and looks up “To be honest, I don’t think she drew on the pack, just her temper. I was in the wrong according to pack law.”  
Asil inhales suddenly “What did you do Samuel?”  
“I stopped her witch from doing a spell with blood.”  
Charles comes to attention “Who’s?”  
“Her own. It escalated, and Sydney separated us. Her witch is a younger girl, but I didn’t really notice that, just the fact she was a witch.”  
Charles scowls, with concern for his brother foremost “Please tell me you didn’t fight.”  
Samuel shakes his head “No, I backed down. It’s just a feeling, but I think I would have lost that fight.” Ariana nods subtly in the background.  
Bran asks “So what do you think, young or old?”  
Sam replies “Old” at the same time Charles says “Young.”  
Bran sighs and asks Asil “Tell us about Sydney.”  
Asil grumbles “This is going to suck terribly.” In a louder voice he says “I do not know Sydney very well at all.”  
Bran scowls “What do you mean? She was welcome in your house.”  
Asil simply replies “I do not know Sydney.”  
Ariana sighs “By what name do you know our new female Alpha?”  
Asil grins “Siren is what I know her by.” Samuel frowns, the name ringing a bell.  
Bran asks “Where did she come from?”  
Asil looks pained. “If I knew, I could not say.”  
Charles asks “Who was she to you?”  
Asil smiles slyly “Learning quickly, aren’t you, Charlie?” Charles growls and Asil goes on “She was and is a friend. She and my mate were close although I believe Sage told you that detail.”  
Bran frowns. Asil is leaving something out. “What else?”  
Asil starts “She was my…” He pauses, like he can’t continue then rephrases “I was her Second for many years.”  
Samuel asks “She was your Alpha?”  
“I can’t confirm or deny that.” It rings true, although he obviously knows that she was.  
Samuel continues “She was Alpha of a pack.”  
“I can’t confirm or deny that.”  
Samuel asks “You were her Second.”  
“Yes.”  
“But you can’t confirm or deny that she was your Alpha?”  
“Correct.” Asil’s face is blank, but there is a hint of smugness in his eyes.  
Bran asks “Are you unable to confirm this?”  
“No.”  
“When would you be able to confirm this?”  
Asil grins “Smart Marrok. In Siren’s presence only.”  
“Why can you not speak?”  
“I can’t say.”  
Samuel interrupts “Ari, is it a geas?”  
Ariana replies “No, it is wolf magic, but it does have the structure of a geas. I don’t know.”  
Bran slaps the table, and everyone flinches. “Damn blood oaths. It’s unbreakable.”  
Asil grins, pleased with himself.  
Chapter 31

A body is found in the morning, and Samuel is called to the scene. Bran arrives soon after. Samuel reports “Dead, of multiple causes. The body appears to have been thrown from a window. These marks appear to have been burned on hours before death. They ought to have healed on a werewolf.”  
Bran snaps to a nearby wolf “Get Charles. I want to know every wolf with a room overlooking this courtyard. This is the Alpha of the Little Mountain Pack.”  
Samuel frowns and whispers “There’s more, Da. Take a sniff.” Bran does, and has to close his eyes and back away at the memories it conjures.  
He says in a low voice “He was tortured.” The scent of terror is overwhelming. Samuel nods his agreement.  
Asil comes strolling over “Well, well, what do we have here?” He looks the body over and grins, a most unusual reaction to a body. “Rapist’s marks. You might want to see what the women in his pack have to say about him.” He strolls on, whistling as if there wasn’t a dead body lying there.  
A wolf comes running up and stops, panting over the body “Oh my gosh, I can’t believe it. He is dead. I thought so, but I wasn’t sure.”  
Bran recognizes him as the dead wolf’s second and asks “What do you mean?”  
He shrugs “There was no shock through the pack when he died. He just sort of dropped out.”  
Samuel asks “Tell me, did he ever mistreat women?”  
The second shivers “I’m not supposed to say anything…” He looks at the body and squares his shoulders “Yes, he did. Any women that showed resistance, he went after. He wasn’t as bad as some, but I know at least two women whose deaths could be squarely placed on his shoulders.”  
Bran replies “Thank you for your honesty. You are Alpha of the Little Mountain Pack, as the bonds have already named you.”  
“Thank you, sir.” The wolf walks away, but when he is some distance away, he whips out his phone and calls someone.  
Samuel says when the wolf is out of earshot “These marks must have been burnt on with silver. Silver dipped in acid. This is not the work of a mad wolf, Father.”  
Bran asks “What was the final cause of death?”  
Samuel hesitates then says “Broken neck.”  
“Was the wolf restrained in any way?”  
Samuel replies “Not with chains or silver. There are bruises from hands though.”  
“How many?”  
“Hands? Only two, as far as I can discern.” They move together, picking up the body and dumping it in the back of a truck. Bran calls and arranges for it to be picked up, and the area cleaned. Sam shakes his head “It’s only day two, and there are already two Alphas dead, neither of which I would have pegged as a bad man.”  
Bran adds “But they both were in the wrong.” There is just a hint of admiration as he adds “Whoever did that is very strong.”  
Samuel looks at him in shock, but Bran misses the look.  
The meeting of Alphas drags on. Sydney arrives on time with Asil, and does not seem at all discomforted by the Marrok discreetly watching her. Perhaps she doesn’t notice, but Charles definitely does. He whispers to Samuel “What happened?”  
Sam replies “There was a dead body found in the courtyard with what Asil calls rapist’s marks burned onto it. He was tortured, but dead of a snapped neck. I think she killed him.”  
Charles eyes widen almost imperceptibly and he says “You know father’s control isn’t good. I could run the meeting for him.”  
Samuel shakes his head “He’s watching her. Look at him.”  
Charles breathes “Oh.” He shakes his head “This is a right proper mess, isn’t it?”  
Their attention is drawn back to the field as Sydney stands to comment on the issue they are talking about. It is some dull unimportant argument. Then another Alpha, Ryan jumps up and yells “You have no right to speak. You are a female.”  
Asil, who is sitting next to her, mutters “Getting rid of three bigots in two days. Impressive, Siren.”  
Sydney whispers down to him “Shut up, Moor.” The people around wince, but he just grins. Sydney continues “Do you challenge my right to be Alpha? To hold a pack?” It is a readymade invitation to challenge.  
“Yes, I do.”  
As everyone walks out to the fighting ring Charles says to Samuel “That Ryan is a good fighter. I wonder who will win?”  
Asil, who was ghosting behind Charles just to irritate him, replies “Siren will. I’d place money on it.”  
Samuel shrugs, remembering the body that morning “I wouldn’t bet against you, Asil.”  
Charles asks “Really? Ryan is a damn good fighter, and she is a woman.”  
Asil just shakes his head “She’ll win. You’ve never seen her really fight. Ryan is not in her league. Even I could beat him.” Charles shakes his head. Asil is a really good fighter, although he would never tell him so. Asil grins, as if he could see the words that passed through Charles’s mind. Asil with telepathy, now that is a terrifying thought. “The Siren trained me, Charles. Of course I fight well.”  
Shock passes across Samuel’s features, and Charles waits for Asil to move on before asking “What was that expression.”  
“The Siren. Sydney is The Siren. As Asil is The Moor, so Sydney is The Siren.”  
Charles frowns “I don’t like similes. Plain English please.”  
Samuel laughs “It’s not a simile.” Charles growls, causing a few wolves nearby to tense up. Samuel continues “Now I don’t feel so bad about losing the dominance contest with her.” Charles just shakes his head.  
   
Chapter 32

“Ryan does fight well,” muses Charles to Anna. “But I could beat him.”  
Anna smiles and replies “Of course, but he is losing this fight.” Sydney and Ryan have already been fighting for a few minutes, and Ryan seems to be getting the worst of it. Wait, he just knocked Sydney to the ground. She gets back up, seemingly unharmed from her flight across the arena. Ariana winces in sympathy, and Samuel pulls back as he sees the rage smoldering in her eyes.  
The Siren declares “You’ll pay for that, Alpha. Yield or die.”  
“You’ll have to try to kill me. I’d never yield to you.” The Siren moves delicately but deceptively across the open ground. She suddenly, quickly, with grace, and Ryan is caught in a classic wrestlers choke hold.  
“Yield.”  
“No” he manages to choke out. Sydney could kill him, but she doesn’t. She tosses him across the ring, and he lands where she had a moment before.  
“Then fight again.” Sydney hisses with fury.  
Samuel gets up, and Anna runs up to steal his seat next to Ariana.  
Sam drops into the seat next to Charles. “Look at Da.” Charles does. The Marrok is completely enthralled in the fight. His eyes track Sydney across the ring and back, and there is a smile of appreciation on his face.  
Charles sighs “Didn’t he warn us just this morning to be careful of her?” Asil glances up, sees the Marrok, and looks away quickly. A look of amusement passes quickly over his face, but his eyes snap back to the ring. There is a red splotch spreading all over the floor; Sydney has punctured an artery with her fingernails. She has caught him in a martial arts grip that Charles recognizes and being extremely painful.  
She whispers into his ear “Yield.”  
“No” He replies. She throws him away in disgust. The fight should be over by now. Ryan has a sprained ankle, at least one broken arm, numerous bruises, a black eye, a swollen neck, and blood gushing from an artery. But he refuses to yield. Bran, who could call the fight off, sits entranced in the Siren’s spell.  
They clash again, Ryan slow from pain and exhaustion. Sydney is injured, but she moves like the injuries are nothing. Soon enough, Ryan is down on the ground, being held in a way Charles has never seen, although Samuel recognizes it. It is excruciatingly painful. Sydney’s hand moves almost delicately, gently in a caress as pain wracks the wolf’s body. He shudders, his thoughts pure agony.  
“Yield.” There is something bestial, terrifying about the woman above him as his thoughts turn to agony and he knows nothing but the painful sensation of the delicate fingers digging deep into a nerve.  
“I yield.” The Siren inhales as her eyes flash purple, but she releases the wolf carefully, almost reluctantly. She stands and he flops at her feet, completely submissive. She challenges the audience “Do any others dispute my claim to be Alpha?” She pauses, and no one says a word, their eyes fixed on the tableau below. “No? Any challenges to my right to hold a pack?” No one even moves. She smiles, a harsh smile that is not something that should be on a young face, but strangely fitting. “Then I claim that all female wolves have the right to fight for dominance and hold what they can take.” She slices her palm with a fingernail, which must be excruciatingly painful, but she doesn’t flinch. “By the bonds that bind all wolves, I make it so once more.” Every wolf feels the tide of magic that sweeps the room as her blood falls on the ground and trickles into the earth. The magic echoes through the pack bonds, and every wolf can feel it.  
Then Bran stands up and says “Well, I think that matter is settled. Everyone please proceed to lunch.” Someone looking at him would never have guessed that he was completely entranced or that the foundation all of his werewolves stood on was just shaken down to the very bottom. Slowly at first, but with increasing speed, the wolves go for the food. Food is a very good distraction.  
Sydney puts out her hand and helps Ryan up. “I trust we will have no more difficulties?” She asks politely, as if they hadn’t just been at each other’s throats a moment before. It is reminiscent of a courtier, and Bran could almost see the flowing jeweled dress.  
Ryan backs away, choking out “No, no more issues, yes ma’am.” She watches him go, her expression not quite concealing predatory glee.  
There are only a few wolves left in the arena. The Siren looks around with the predator peering out of her eyes. Most bow their heads and scurry away. A wolf named Mathew, Alpha of some pack although Bran cannot recall which, watches Sydney. Sure enough, she turns with a savage gleam in her eye. Their eyes meet, and he gives her a deep bow, recognizing her as the Siren. She nods regally, and the wolf walks out of the room, giving a grin and a wave to Asil, who glowers at him. That Mathew had been fourth or fifth in her pack many years before, when Asil had been her second, although Bran doesn’t know it. Another wolf comes skipping down the stairs. “Siren,” She shouts “So nice to see you again!” She is mated to one of the Alphas.  
Siren winces “Way to trumpet my name for all to hear. I try to keep secrets, you know.” Bran analyzes all of these wolves that greeted Sydney, but only after they saw her fight. She exchanges nods with a few others who leave the room after Mathew.  
Asil approaches “Try to keep your temper a bit more. But then again, I never know how much you mean to reveal.” The Siren laughs, her features finally coming back to the ones that fit Sydney. It is not that they physically changed, but the predator is hidden away, just enough for her to pass as human. But no one that saw the predator will ever forget it. Asil grumbles “Between you and Bran,” he gestures with a tilt of his chin “I think I’ll go crazy trying to figure out what in my life is schemed and planned.” Bran realizes that all of the wolves that greeted Sydney after the fight were old. All were content being a werewolf, and all had that strange turn to predator. They were all her wolves, at some point. Just as any wolf that was part of the Marrok’s pack retained some loyalty to him, these wolves kept their loyalty to Sydney.  
Bran starts his way down from the seats he had in the absolute best position to watch. Asil notices him coming and scurries away. The Marrok’s sons slip out unobtrusively to go keep the peace at lunch. The wolf that is Brandon feels a great satisfaction in his choice as they approach Sydney. He offers his arm, and she accepts gracefully. To an onlooker, perhaps they would look like a young college couple, but perhaps not. There is an inherent predatory gleam in their eyes as they look at each other, but the overpowering dominance of the Alpha wolf is carefully hidden by each. They head to lunch.  
In the lunchroom, Asil sits next to Charles, he says to annoy him, but it is really to bask in Anna’s power as an Omega. Samuel and Ariana sit side by side, not touching, but the tension that throbs between them is thick enough to cut with a knife. Yet every eye is drawn to the door, not by the dominance that they keep well hidden but by the elegance with which they move together. Asil sees them and has to fight not to curse in Anna’s presence. She wouldn’t care, but the other wolves would, and now that he has been dragged back into life he will play the games properly, the way he was taught. Samuel and Charles still, exchanging glances that convey their concern.  
Bran and Sydney move together in perfect harmony. Asil, who can see the Siren’s true face, gasps at the image they will create when she shows her true features to the world. Samuel winces and says very quietly “He warned us earlier this day to be careful of her. Now she walks in on his arm.”  
Charles remarks “His eyes are showing gold.” Every werewolf in the room gets the message. Bran has claimed her, although Asil and the rest of the wolves think it might be the other way around.  
Asil replies “Hers are showing violet.”  
Samuel frowns “The eyes of her wolf are green. Brilliant green.”  
Asil grins “There is much for you all to learn about the Siren. I think I will have to watch, at a safe distance. I pity any that get caught between them, as I squarely am now.” But he doesn’t seem too upset by his position, for watching the maneuvering that is going to come is better than any chess game.  
 


	8. Chapter 33-35

Chapter 33

They walk together arm in arm in the old-fashioned courteous fashion. “It is a beautiful night, is it not, Siren?”  
“A most wonderful night, not in the least because I have the pleasure of your fine company.”  
“You turn my head with your compliments.” They sit on a stone bench beside a lovely fountain. The faint scent of arousal sifts through the air, nothing that any but a very perceptive werewolf could sense. But they both can scent it.  
A pause then Sydney asks “What do you intend to do about my little proclamation?”  
Bran replies “Figure out why your blood made such an impact. About the proclamation, nothing. It strengthened all the pack bonds. Which we will need for whatever is coming.”  
Sydney nods “The Fae are divided. I have not seen the like for many years. I am not sure that they can come together like last time.”  
Bran asks “Do you know Beauclaire?”  
“The Prince he was and is again. I had a human asking after him too.”  
“Agent Goldstein?” She nods her appreciation. Perhaps an onlooker would miss the undertones, but a werewolf couldn’t afford to. They are both testing the other while trying to extract information. Holding back their wolf just enough to try to stay in control of the situation.  
“A smart human. Apparently a werewolf specialist now.”  
Bran grins “After Charles and Anna, I’m not surprised he was assigned to it. Have you heard of the Fae called Ziebold?”  
“I heard he was mixed up with your coyote. What does she call herself? A walker?”  
“She does.”  
“Painless change, with the ability to see ghosts thrown in. Such an interesting magic.”  
Bran frowns, concerned with how she got this knowledge. “How about you, Sydney, what magic do you hold?”  
Her eyes go wide with false surprise “Whatever do you mean?” Her tones are those of a flirtatious court lady, but then they turn sly, now the cunning fox with lowered eyelashes “And if I had magic, would I tell you?”  
Even as Bran is annoyed, his wolf is amused, something he had not known the beast could feel. Bran allows his gaze to turn threatening “You have had extensive dealings with the fae, your blood works magic, and you take a witch into your pack then face down my eldest son over it. Who are you, Sydney?”  
“Siren Einar, Mistress of the hunt.” It is impossible to tell what hunt she is talking about.  
“Where do you come from?”  
“Long ago and far away, in the snowy mountains with the noontime shadow.”  
“Where specifically?”  
“The mountains were always snow peaked, and the sun was harsh but failed to melt the snow. The ice was constant, relieved only by occasional green or bright red. Who are you, Bran?” She knows already, but wishes to hear the reply.  
“I am a Bard, traveling here and there.”  
“With the sound of your homeland still in your voice.”  
Bran shakes his head, distracted. “One of my wolves was right. Your appearance is not quite right. Why might that be, Sydney?”  
She laughs a high pure sound that mocks “Try and find out, I challenge you. I wonder if you can do it. My secrets have been buried, and some died with time. Learn who I am, and I will consider it a point in your favor.”  
“You are a very old and canny wolf. Asil knows your secrets, and he will tell them to me.”  
“He can’t. He swore of his own volition, mingled blood and oath strengthened through pack bonds.” They continue discussing various topics of interest, a battle of wits that both enjoy. 

A few weeks later, Asil comes storming into Bran’s study “Fine, I’ll answer your questions, soon as you tell me what you did to Sage.”  
The Marrok looks up, seeing that Asil was in one of his legendary rages “She’s safe. You can go rescue her after you tell me why Sydney doesn’t quite look or smell right.”  
“Figures.” Asil drops into a chair, defeated. “She would have done the same.” He sighs “She’s part Fae.” As if that explains everything.  
“What do you mean? I don’t smell that on her, and I would have noticed.”  
“She is a very old, part fae werewolf.”  
Bran blinks in shock, then jumps up “A glamour? She’s been wearing glamour? And Ariana didn’t think to tell me?”  
Asil smiles a little, pleased to boast about his mentor “Ariana probably didn’t know. The Siren is very good at her little tricks. I learned some time ago that she carried glamour in the Faerie courts without suspicion.” Bran frowns, calling on old memories, facts he had dismissed, politics he thought gone and unnecessary. He has heard the name Siren before. He goes over to a book that has descriptions of Fae.  
He quotes “The Siren is a fae of uncertain origin. She has beast magic of some sort and a power over bonds of the forest. Her power matches that of a wildwood Fae, although none are known to be beast natured. She has worked for many courts, taking contracts and usually killing those the contract was taken out on, although she has turned against those that hire her on multiple occasions. Has a relationship to The Dark Smith of Drontheim: see entry on page 45.”  
Asil looks up shocked “Can I borrow that book? It must be invaluable.”  
Bran frowns. He hates sharing his treasures “No. Did you know this about her?”  
“That she killed fae for money? I didn’t although it doesn’t surprise me.”  
“So she’s a murderer.” Bran sounds a little stunned.  
“Murderess. Not unsurprising, Bran.” Asil grins “I’ll have to ask her what her kill count is. I can’t believe she never told us.”  
Bran asks “Told who?”  
“Our pack. Although it makes sense, actually, with her being a murderer. It explains why she is so good at fighting.”  
“How good?” Bran wonders if Charles could take her.  
Asil grins “I don’t know if Charles could take her down, but I would never bet against the Lady.”  
Bran frowns again. If he keeps it up, his face will get stuck in that expression. “Lady of what?”  
“That’s what we called her, sometimes. She married into a few castles, but always had to fake her death. That’s not why we called her Lady, though. It was mostly because we couldn’t call her Alpha when humans were around. She changed names too many times for us to keep track.”  
Bran’s frown deepens into a scowl “Why are you being so forthcoming?”  
Asil grins “For my own amusement. Besides, you needed help. Her secrets are too deep and too hidden for any to seek them out. Now where’s Sage?”  
Bran grins, happy at the trick he played “Shopping in the nearest town. When are you going to propose?” Asil snarls and walks out the door.  
He pauses and turns back, suddenly weary “You two are perfectly suited. I believe she would have gone through the almost exact sequence of steps, although probably much sooner.”  
   
Chapter 34

Again they walk arm in arm, this time through the woods. Tracing a pattern on her palm he says “I learned that you are fae.”  
She grins “What did you do to Asil? Steal Sage away?”  
“I sent her shopping.”  
Sydney laughs, apparently unconcerned. “What else did you find?”  
“You worked in the Faerie courts in their height, and were counted among the more dangerous.”  
Her smile slips a little but she still appears unconcerned. “You make that sound like a compliment. What did I do at the Faerie courts exactly?”  
“According to my book, you took contracts and killed people although I haven’t been able to verify that. Asil wanted to know how many.”  
She sighs “Tell him I lost count. Actually don’t. He’ll ask me himself and I can scold him.”  
“How many times have you held a pack?” Bran is filled with curiosity about this she wolf.  
She shrugs “Many, mostly when I was young, and thought I was a normal werewolf.”  
“As opposed to one wearing a glamour. Are you wearing it now?”  
“Of course. I don’t look completely human without one, although I do change up my appearance and scent when I assume a new identity.”  
“What do you look like?” There is honest curiosity in his voice.  
“Perhaps some other time.” She sighs, thinking of the last time she showed her true face. She continues “I have a question for you.”  
“Please, ask.”  
She stops and turns to him, so she is looking him full in the face. “Are you really Brandon the Berserker?” The name evokes memories painful for him still, memories that trouble his dreams.  
He grins cruelly, letting his beast peer out. He knows it is a bad idea, he really does like her. “Does that frighten you, dear girl?”  
She laughs harshly “No one has called me a girl for centuries. They wouldn’t dare.” Her face settles into an expression that matches his. “Nothing can frighten me.” Her wolf is in her eyes. Slowly, very slowly, he reaches around her and pulls her savagely to him. As their lips meet, all awareness of the outside world vanishes. Neither expected the instant connection, or the finding of true love again. The mating bond will be strong, and every werewolf benefites from the strength of their Alphas.  
   
Chapter 35

“Brother dear, it’s been much too long.” The blade at his throat, the form of address and the ancient language told him who it was. His demon of a sister, she was the elder. One of the blades he forged himself too, although she stole it and quenched it in her own blood, perhaps remembering that things he made often killed the owner.  
The Gremlin snarls “Maggie. What in Helheim are you doing here?”  
She grins, one of the savage smiles that a werewolf can pull off but he can’t “I’m getting married. I want a sword for my wedding gift. A sword that won’t betray me like that last one you made.”  
“So you showed up in my place of power, and held one of my own creations to my throat to invite me to your wedding. How characteristically you.” His voice drips venom. They didn’t part on friendly terms, perhaps because he was hunting one of her wolves. Her Second, although he thought pack Alphas were supposed to have compassion, and she decidedly lacked this virtue.  
She grins with decided malice and says “I’m disappointed. You didn’t even ask who I’m marrying.”  
“I don’t really care which fool you’ve decided to poach from this time.”  
She removes the knife, knowing he now is interested enough not to try to kill her. She taunts him “It’s someone you know.”  
He glares, knowing she has forced him into asking. Curiosity is a vice among the long-lived. It is also what keeps them alive, just wondering what is next. “Who?”  
Now she has something to bargain with, a morsel of information to dangle in front of him. “I’ll tell you if you promise to make me the sword. A proper warriors blade, not that thing you forged by killing.” His sister was always sly.  
“Am I actually invited to this wedding?”  
She grins “Why, of course. Would I ever do anything against my dear brother?” The juxtaposition of the malicious grin on her face with her sweet young voice is what makes her so scary. They would all laugh if they knew he was scared of his sister, even if she is his elder. The Dark Smith, scared of a girl. But they should all be terrified of her. He says with feeling “Yes, you would” remembering the scar that still mars his immortal skin. She simply smiles sweetly, a terrifying expression that he recognizes as the one she wears when she strolls across a battlefield.  
He caves “Fine, who are you marrying, and why do you want a sword?” He fights back a shudder at the idea.  
“Why, there’s a war coming. It’s been too long since I fought a proper battle, with foes worthy of me.” He knows what she means, but he is firm in his desire to reform and stop killing because he is bored. This century has much more interesting things than humans. But if the Siren says war is coming, it is coming. She is the true warrior, born and bred. He just wants to play with his toys, and they both know it.  
He growls, something he learned from the wolves “Who are you marrying?”  
She grins, the first happy expression that he has seen pass her face since they were children. It is a fleeting expression, but he thinks there might be hope for her. The expression becomes a taunting grin as she replies “The Berserker.” The Gremlin swears in Ancient German, his favorite but not his first language. Then she leans forward and crushes any hope he has that she might have reformed “And I know where your favorite coyote lives. I want the sword, dear brother. What good is a war without a sword?” She leaves, although he can’t determine how, and he shakes with relief that she didn’t kill him this time. As the shaking subsides he realizes that the monster that is his sister now rules the wolves. War is coming, indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End.
> 
> Please REVIEW and tell me what you think. I am a new writer, so any and all comments are welcome. If there are inconsistencies with the original books, let me know and I will fix them.


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